Archäologisch-anthropologische Zugänge zu kinderlosen Frauen im (frühen) Mittelalter

Abstract

A great variety of written sources broach the issue of childlessness and infertility in medieval Europe. Nevertheless, the material legacy of infertility has rarely been the topic of research. Therefore, we will discuss the potential of archaeological and anthropological sources to shed light on the topic of childlessness. Our contribution is based on case studies from southwest Germany, mainly from the early medieval period. As infertility is one of the main reasons for childlessness, we put special emphasis on archaeological and anthropological approaches to this topic. Our study is based on recovered human remains from archaeological excavations. We discuss medical and pathological reasons for infertility (e. g. vitamin de­ficiencies, osteoporosis or genetic factors) and examine how the Body Mass Index could influence the fertility of women. Furthermore, we would like to draw light upon archaeological finds and features connected to pregnancies both successful and unsuccessful, birth and baby care. Our synopsis provides a material perspective on childlessness in medieval Europe, which may complement other sources.

Keywords Childlessness; Anthropology; Archaeology; Skeletons; Pregnancy