Breastfeeding and weaning in Late Holocene hunter-gatherers of the lower Paraná wetland, South America

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we analyze breastfeeding and weaning practices in pre-Columbian complex hunter-gatherers from the lower Paraná River basin (SouthAmerica).Materials and Methods: We carried out bone isotope analyses concerning δ13C incollagen and apatite, the spacing between both carbon sources and δ15N in a sampleof 23 subadult and adult individuals of both sexes recovered from Late Holocenearchaeological sites, ranging from 1665 ± 45 to 680 ± 80 14C years BP.Results and Discussion: The results indicate that exclusive breastfeeding continueduntil the age of ~2 years, and weaning probably until 4 years of age. Supplementaryfoods included C3 plants and probably animal fats and C4 carbohydrates. A high fractionation of 4.9? in δ15N values was recognized between breastfeeding infants andadult females, perhaps reflecting episodic hyper-protein diets in women linked tomen's food provisioning during women's gestational/postpartum period. Additionally,male adults present a higher protein intake than females. Although this difference isnot statistically significant with the current sample size, it could be a clue related to asexual division in food procurement