Sweet Child O’ Mine. Family Ties, Inheritance System and Representation of Infants in Iron Age Veneto: The Case of Mound L from Este, Padua

The knowledge of child burials in Iron Age Veneto, north-eastern Italy, is mainly derived from two kinds of data: 1) osteological analysis and 2) study of the composition of grave goods. Based on the analysis of different contexts, it can currently be assumed that children’s burials reflect different levels of complexity in terms of the funerary representation – some graves seem to be complex while others are simpler, and others again are almost ‘invisible’. These differences in archaeological visibility could represent different levels of the status, rank and role of the deceased and his/her family and/or different ways of expressing lineage. Taking these points into consideration, a selected group of burials from the northern necropolis of Este, Padua, are examined in the paper, with a focus on the rituals and grave assemblages that characterised children’s graves. The aim is to identify differences in grave structure, furnishing and the ritual practice of child burials from the same family group, to demonstrate how these vary even within the same household. The social significance of the funerary treatment of infants within the community is also explored.