GROUNDBREAKING examination of ancient bones has found that medieval mothers breast-fed their children for much longer than modern mothers.
Forensic tests on bones unearthed from the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy, in the Yorkshire Wolds, have shown that babies were breastfed for up to 18 months.
The conclusions have been made in the first UK scientific study of breastfeeding habits during the medieval period, undertaken by English Heritage and researchers at Bradford and Oxford universities.
Previous studies revealed that children suffered from stunted growth and diseases such as rickets and leprosy.
However, Dr Simon Mays, human skeletal biologist at English Heritage's Centre for Archaeology, said that mothers who breastfed their children longer gave their children more protection against such diseases.
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