Estimating puberty in a prehistoric skeletal collection

A method was introduced to estimate the age of puberty in prehistoric skeletal collections using stages of fusion of the epiphyses of the distal humerus, proximal radius and proximal ulna, as well as fusion of the ilium, ischium and pubis. Fusion of these bones is associated with the hormonal release coincident with the onset of puberty. Dental age-at-death and stage of fusion of these bones were compared in 22 sub-adult individuals from the Moundville (1TU500) site in Alabama, USA. The age for the onset of puberty in this skeletal sample from Moundville, including both males and females, was estimated to be 14.95 ± 2.53 years. These results represent an initial application of this methodology to a small data set. The application of this method on a larger scale may provide a better understanding of reproductive lifespans in earlier populations, as well as insight into possible effects of nutritional or socio-economic differences on the sexual development of children within those populations.