Built on the backs of children: A comparative analysis of spinal joint disease in non-adults from three post-medieval (1650–1850 CE) Dutch communities with documented histories of child labour

Objective To compare the prevalence and frequency of activity-related spinal pathologies in non-adults and young adults from three post-medieval (1650–1850 CE) Dutch populations with documented histories of child labour. Materials Well preserved human remains of 143 children and early young adults (4 years ± 1 year to 25 years ± 2 years) from three osteoarchaeological assemblages. Methods Macroscopic palaeopathological analysis was conducted to observe the presence and distribution of spinal pathologies, including facet joint osteoarthritis, Schmorl’s nodes, and body margin modifications. Results Significant differences were found between the three sites across all age categories, with non-adults from the assemblages with historically documented child labour practices having the highest rate of spinal lesions, particularly in the rural population. The distribution of lesions throughout the spinal column also varied notably between sites. Conclusions The type and intensity of historically documented child labour practices are visible in the distribution of activity-related pathological lesions throughout the spinal column and indicate a clear impact of manual labour on the growing skeleton. Significance Through the analysis of the distribution of activity-related spinal joint disease alongside historical contexts, a better understanding of the biomechanical impact of documented child labour practices can be achieved. Limitations As is the nature of juvenile osteology, this study worked with limited sample sizes across all three assemblages. This is reflected both in the number of individuals assessed as well as in the number of vertebrae analysed, as recovery of the complete spinal column was not possible for every individual included in this study.