INFANO deals with the under-researched role of children in ancient societies, especially the influence of biological sex on their growth, development and social status. Focused on burial sites from the Bronze Age (2100-1500 BC) in northern Serbia – the Mokrin and Ostojićevo necropolises – it uses non-destructive analysis of tooth enamel peptides to identify the biological sex of around 120 children. In addition, it studies the biological aspects of about 110 adults in order to understand the diet and health of children at that age.

The main objectives include: 1) assessing the equality of food access between Bronze Age boys and girls through stable isotope analysis, 2) comparing health, growth, and development between the sexes through bone studies, and 3) investigating how biological sex affected social status, gender identity and social roles. INFANO’s innovative approach integrates analytical chemistry, dental histology, radiolog,y and mortuary archaeology, promising new insights into ancient childhood and the social impact of children’s biological sex.