Unlocking Adolescence: A Novel Approach to Approximate the Sociocultural Implications of Puberty in Medieval Spain

Abstract

Introduction

The objectives of this investigation were to study puberty in medieval adolescents from northern Spain and use funerary archaeology data to explore the social implications of adolescence within this community.

Method

The pubertal development of 37 skeletons (aged 8–25 years) from Marialba de la Ribera (León, Spain, 3rd to 15th centuries AD) was assessed, with 32 assigned a pubertal stage. Using this information in conjunction with burial location, the relationship between physical maturity and social identity was considered.

Results

Onset of the pubertal growth spurt was observed to occur between 10 and 12 years, but delays in reaching the later pubertal stages resulted in extended adolescent growth. Menarche age was placed at 16 years. Developmental patterns observed suggest delays compared with modern adolescents but were similar to other past populations. Regarding cemetery distribution, most individuals who died while prepubescent or in the early puberty stages were buried within the children's section, while those in later puberty or postpuberty were not.

Conclusion

Growth deceleration appears to have been the point at which individuals were no longer considered children in this population. This stage marks a critical turning point in pubertal development because, although not fully mature, adolescents exhibit physical characteristics resembling those of adults and are able to undertake tasks and fulfill roles typically reserved for adulthood. Exploring social roles shaped by the biological life cycle facilitates a deeper understanding of not only the adolescents themselves but also the communities to which they belonged and may be the only way to truly approximate adolescence in past populations.