Medien

Vortragsmitschnitte

Jennifer Portschy: Ties That Bind. Mothers & Children in Early Medieval Societies

Childhood, motherhood, and parent-child relationships are key social dynamics that fundamentally shape the structure and values of any society. They influence cultural norms and behavioral patterns and may also leave tangible traces in the archaeological record.


This lecture presents preliminary results from a bioarchaeological case study on the social significance of childhood, motherhood, and care in the Early Middle Ages. It examines burials dated to the 6th–9th centuries CE in present-day Upper Austria through combined archaeological, anthropological, and biochemical analyses, aiming to shed light on child mortality, parental grief coping, and gender-specific patterns in upbringing. In addition, the study investigates women’s living conditions and life-course trajectories, as well as the role of motherhood in shaping female identity and social status. The overarching goal is to reconstruct how gender, age, and social roles were expressed and communicated through early medieval burial practices. Ultimately, the study demonstrates the potential of a biocultural approach and encourages a rethinking of the social dimensions of childhood and motherhood in the Early Middle Ages.