Societal perceptions and lived experience: Infant feeding practices in premodern Japan
Takumi Tsutaya1, Kazuhiko Shimatani2, Minoru Yoneda3
1Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Research Institute for Marine Resources Utilization, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|October 22, 2019
Summary
In premodern Japan, societal shifts led to earlier weaning ages for children, despite recommendations for longer breastfeeding. This study analyzed skeletal remains to understand these changing child-rearing practices.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Bioarchaeology
- Japanese History
Background:
- Societal changes in premodern Japan influenced child-rearing, with an inheritance-based family system promoting more affectionate practices.
- Written advice suggested breastfeeding for approximately three years.
Observation:
- Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data were analyzed from 40 subadult skeletons from the Sakai Kango Toshi 871 (SKT871) site (late 17th-19th century, Osaka, Japan).
- Data from SKT871 were compared with results from the earlier Hitotsubashi site (AD 1657-1683, Tokyo, Japan).
- Both sites represent urban, lower-status populations before and after a societal shift in child perception.
Findings:
- The reconstructed age for weaning completion at SKT871 was 1.9 years, which is younger than the 2.1-4.1 years estimated for the Hitotsubashi site.
- Weaning ages decreased after the societal transition regarding children's perceived value.
Implications:
- The observed earlier weaning age contradicts contemporary written recommendations for prolonged breastfeeding.
- This shift may reflect increased pressure for inheritors within the inheritance-based family system, potentially leading to shorter birth intervals.
- Societal ideals for infant care diverged from actual practices during this period.
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