What does archaeology have to say about children?
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Childhood Invented?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons.
According to some, philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was the first to distinguish the time in life which we call childhood. Since the C18th, we have turned childhood into a time of sanctuary. A special time when we feel protected and safe. Many yearn to return to their childhood, holding the care-free days of ‘endless summers’ in high esteem.
Prior to the C18th, children were merely adults trapped in small bodies, waiting to become useful human beings. Young people were put to work as soon as they could walk and adults could scarcely wait for them to grow up…
Is this true?
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Examining the Evidence:
What does Archaeology have to say about children and childhood? Together we explore various periods of history, from the Palaeolithic to the Victorians, from the Aztec to Medieval Europe in search of evidence of young people.
You will be surprised by what we uncover. Not only are our assumptions about the past brought into question but ultimately, the evidence challenges the modern world and how children across the world live today!