The Archaeology of Childhood

Abstract

The archaeology of childhood has grown over the past decade and a half as a vibrant field of specialized interest within archaeology as a whole. A thematic treatment of the literature highlights a variety of approaches to how and why archaeologists should study children using the archaeological record. These themes are organized chronologically and begin with critiques of archaeological approaches that do not include children and an exploration of the relationship between childhood studies and studies of gender, identity, and agency in the archaeological record. Theoretical and methodological developments that draw attention to new ways of looking at the archaeological record to identify cultural constructions of childhood and lived experiences of children are presented. Finally, current tensions and pluralities in the literature are explored as the archaeology of childhood reaches a new stage in its own maturity as a field of inquiry.