Novum Millennium Project - Childhood in Ancient Rome

People often ask, what was it like to be a child in the ancient Roman world? Was it so different from today? One of the challenges in answering these questions is that there are often very few artifacts reflecting life for children in the ancient world. In the Palazzo Massimo Museum in Rome there is an amazing treasure which helps us answer questions about ancient childhood. A burial was found of a young girl approximately eight years old whose parents were followers of the When the child sadly died in the second century CE she was not cremated as was standard in ancient Rome. Instead she was buried through a form of mummification which preserved her body. In her Roman sarcophagus made of carved stone were a number of her treasured possessions, things she enjoyed in her daily life which her parents wanted her to have in her afterlife. These treasures give us remarkable insight into the world of a wealthy Roman child and we can guess that some of these items would have been used by less wealthy children too. This jewelry is quite remarkable for a child to possess. The gold snake bracelets were very popular in Rome and may have been intended to wear when she was older, although two of them look small enough for a child. This collection though contains something quite important. In the lower right corner there is a golden bulla. This amulet was worn by Roman children from the time they were babies, usually by boys but it could also be worn by girls. It was meant to protect them from harm throughout their childhood and would be worn by girls until the day they married and by boys until the day they officially became men around the age of 14 when they started wearing the toga virilis. In a time when many children died in infancy and those who did survive often died before the age of 12, this amulet was very meaningful to parents who believed it helped protect their babies until they grew up. These necklaces in gold and precious stones are small enough for a child but may have been part of her dowry. They clearly indicate the family's wealth as do these amber ivory and glass items. Glass in particular was expensive and rare especially if it were delicate and carefully made. Here was the little girl's silver mirror along with a shell-shaped makeup palette and two sticks for doing hair. This collection also contains hairpins, a fine tooth comb, handles of mirrors and fans and the lids of makeup containers. In addition this little girl was buried with sewing needles, distaffs, spoons and styluses. These are all things she would have needed in her adulthood and her parents would have considered them essential for her afterlife. This is an amazing example of a golden hairnet worn by a wealthy Roman woman such as in this famous fresco. You can clearly see the beautiful golden thread woven together to make the delicate netting which would have held the wearer's elaborate hairstyle in place as in the painting. And here golden hairpins and sewing needles. The precious items surrounding this little girl included items intended for her roles in adulthood. Wife and mother for example. Roles she would have begun around the age of 12 to 14. The emperor Augustus instituted a law that girls had to be at least 12 years old in order to marry. Marriages were often arranged for political or financial alliances. Many of the items though reflect this little girl's daily experience as a child enjoying her childhood. Here's an amazing toy from this little girl's collection. A carefully crafted ivory doll with limbs which can bend and move. In many ways it's just like dolls which children play with today. Below the doll is a tiny toy box and look at these tiny amber vessels. Miniatures of items used in the home which could be played with by children. They're beautifully crafted from amber and show exceptional detail especially for such small items. Here's another beautifully made doll with moving arms and legs. You can see she's not just jointed at the shoulders and hips but also at the elbows and knees. And in addition her shape is a bit more realistic and abundant than dolls today. A different collection of childhood treasures from various sites includes some small game pieces called knuckle bones. Very similar to jacks if you've ever played this game. You would hold these on the back of your hand, throw them in the air and see how many you could catch on the back of your hand. The person who caught the most would win. The small round pieces would have been used in games similar to checkers. In the center are two miniature farm animals just like those children play with today. And at the back are bone dolls made with movable limbs, some of which are missing. The collection contained a wide variety of miniature farm animals which also may have served as rattles. It is clear that children's toys have not changed that much in 2,000 years.