Bone strontium: calcium ratios and duration of breastfeeding in a Mediaeval skeletal population

This work is an investigation of the value of bone strontium: calcium ratios in the study of duration of breastfeeding in earlier human populations. The study material comprised human skeletal remains of Mediaeval date from England. Investigation of diagenesis suggested that bone Sr:Ca ratios preserved a biogenic signal. Statistical analysis indicated significant age-related patterning in bone Sr:Ca ratios in the juvenile cohort. Duration of breastfeeding estimated from infant bone Sr:Ca ratios was concordant with that inferred from an earlier study of nitrogen stable isotope ratios from the same population. The value of bone Sr:Ca data for studying weaning practices in earlier human populations is discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.