Quando nasce una donna. Metodi e nuovi prospettive della ricerca bioarcheologica per lo studio della pubertà femminile in popolazioni scheletriche antiche

Puberty is a unique stage in the human (biosocial) life cycle, marking the transition from childhood to adulthood. During this developmental period, humans experience a myriad of physiological changes, such as the attainment of reproductive maturity and cognitive development. From a socio-cultural perspective, thisstage is also referred to as adolescence, the duration of which is determined by behavioural, cultural and reproductive strategies and ideologies adopted by human communities throughout history. In past societies, the onset of puberty was a key event in determining individual social roles and expectations, particularly for young women, whose biocultural transition from childhood to marriageable age was signified by menarche (the first menstruation). 8is paper outlines current analytical approaches to the bioarchaeological study of female puberty in ancient skeletal populations, highlighting challenges and potentiality of new tools for reconstructing this pivotal phase in the lives of ancient (less invisible) women.