Where Have All the Children Gone?: The Archaeology of Childhood
Author(s)
Kamp, Kathryn A.
Abstract
Current images portray childhood as primarily a time of play and learning, de-emphasizing children’s economic contributions and relegating them, like women, to the less-visible realm of the home. Ethnographic and historic literature amply demonstrates that age categories are constructs and, thus, exhibit considerable temporal and cross-cultural variability. Nevertheless, archaeologists have tended to ignore prehistoric children, perhaps viewing them as only peripheral to central research concerns, or to treat them stereotypically. The archaeological record provides opportunities for the exploration of numerous aspects of childhood and archaeologists are encouraged to respond to the challenge.
