Breastfeeding and weaning in Late Holocene hunter-gatherers of the lower Paraná wetland, South America

LOPONTE, DANIEL; MAZZA, BÁRBARA

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2021 vol. 176 p. 504 - 520

0002-9483

Objective: In this study, we analyze breastfeeding and weaning practices in pre-Columbian complex hunter-gatherers from the lower Paraná River basin (South America). Materials and Methods: We carried out bone isotope analyses concerning δ13C in collagen and apatite, the spacing between both carbon sources and δ15N in a sample of 23 subadult and adult individuals of both sexes recovered from Late Holocene archaeological sites, ranging from 1665 ± 45 to 680 ± 80 14C years BP. Results and Discussion: The results indicate that exclusive breastfeeding continued until the age of ~2 years, and weaning probably until 4 years of age. Supplementary foods included C3 plants and probably animal fats and C4 carbohydrates. A high fractionation of 4.9? in δ15N values was recognized between breastfeeding infants and adult females, perhaps reflecting episodic hyper-protein diets in women linked to men´s food provisioning during women´s gestational/postpartum period. Additionally, male adults present a higher protein intake than females. Although this difference is not statistically significant with the current sample size, it could be a clue related to a sexual division in food procurement.