Stable isotopic reconstruction of weaning and childhood diet during times of change: An examination of life history and health of San Francisco Bay Area juveniles

•Stable isotopes are used as a proxy for weaning age and childhood independent foraging.•Weaning age does not differ between temporal periods.•Signatures of childhood independent foraging were observed in five children spanning temporal periods.•Weaning began later in comparison to Bay Area individuals who lived into adulthood.•Skeletal indicators of poor health are prevalent within this sample of individuals who died prematurely in childhood.•Methodological challenges associated with analyzing juveniles are discussed.•Anthropological studies of past societies are incomplete without considering the roles and lifestyles of children.