Hōpiġ

What this skeleton told us: Evidence

A 7-10 year old child with milk and adult teeth present. Some slight thinning of the enamel (enamel defects, or hypoplasia) and tooth decay are evident on the milk teeth.

Interpretation of the evidence

Child mortality was likely high in Anglo-Saxon Britain and many did not survive into adulthood. Evidence of enamel hypoplasia illustrates that in childhood he/she had a deficient diet or disease. Tooth decay indicates sugar in his/her diet. Had this child survived, he or she would likely have developed more dental problems that the adult skeletons display.