Infant Health in Early Medieval Iceland Growth and Mortality at Hofstaðir, Keldudalur, Keflavík, and Stóra-Seyla

Abstract

Dental and skeletal elements of perinatal and infant individuals (<1 year) from four early Christian sites (tenth–thirteenth centuries) in Northern Iceland were assessed to estimate age and evaluate growth disruption. Diaphyseal lengths were compared with clinical growth charts. Sixty individuals had at least one long bone preserved, 79 had dental remains, and 51 had both elements available. Dental age was estimated by assessing tooth development, and skeletal age was calculated from diaphyseal length measurements of the humeri, femora, and tibiae. Additionally, diaphyseal lengths were compared against modern clinical reference data. Growth disruption was indicated if the widest error ranges of the skeletal and dental age estimates did not overlap or if measurements fell below the tenth centile. Skeletal age estimates consistently indicated younger ages than dental age estimates. In six cases, the error ranges did not overlap, suggesting severe growth disruption. Additionally, 24 individuals fell below the tenth centile. No specific bone was found to be particularly sensitive to growth disruption. The results suggest that individuals experienced compromised health beginning in utero. Disrupted growth in young infants reflects poor maternal health, adversely affecting fetal and infant growth. The observed postnatal decline in growth indicates that postnatal care, along with immunological and nutritional support, was inadequate, leaving infants vulnerable to environmental and physiological stress.