Growing up Avar: Osteological and Historical Evidence on the Transition into Adulthood in the Avar Empire and the Plasticity of Development

This study investigates adolescence in the early medieval period in Austria by combining historical, archaeological, genetic, and osteological data. To better understand adolescence in the Avar period (650-800 CE), we consulted early medieval inscriptions and historical sources on steppe peoples and correlated them to the osteological findings on the timing of development and the pubertal growth spurt from two Austrian sites. We found that non-specific stress indicators were useful in explaining some of the variance in the timing of the growth spurt, in the absence of severe chronic diseases. The distribution of pathological changes over the duration of adolescence illustrated potential changes in the roles and responsibilities of adolescents. Differences in inflammatory changes may reflect distinct living conditions of male and female adolescents.