Review: Historical Archaeology of Childhood and Parenting

Abstract

Review of Historical Archaeology of Childhood and parenting (2024), edited by April Kamp-Whittaker, Jamie J. Devine, and Suzanne M. Spencer-Wood. The book brings together fourteen chapters featuring case studies on childhoods and parenting from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, across diverse geographical and social contexts. Combining material culture, written documentation, and ethnographic records, the authors show how adults influenced children’s experiences and how children exercised subtle forms of agency. The relationality between children and adults stands out, revealing that parental practices concerning education, health, and death resulted from ongoing negotiations within each context.