Unearthing childhood

Download or read book Unearthing childhood written by Robin Derricourt and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 2018-05-31 with total page 463 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book to survey the ‘hidden half’ of prehistoric societies as revealed by archaeology – from Australopithecines to advanced Stone Age foragers, from farming villages to the beginnings of civilisation. Prehistoric children can be seen in footprints and finger daubs, in images painted on rocks and pots, in the signs of play and the evidence of first attempts to learn practical crafts. The burials of those who did not reach adulthood reveal clothing, personal adornment, possession and status in society, while the bodies themselves provide information on diet, health and sometimes violent death. This book demonstrates the extraordinary potential for the study of childhood within the prehistoric record, and will suggest to those interested in childhood what can be learnt from the study of the deep past.