Scientists have discovered new information about an Ice Age child who lived in southern Italy about 17,000 years ago. The remains, which were discovered in the Grotta delle Mura cave in Monopoli in 1998 by archaeologist Mauro Calatini, indicate that the child probably died of congenital heart disease.
DNA analysis revealed that the child, who was male, likely had blue eyes, dark skin and curly dark brown to almost black hair. The younger remains also showed signs of poor development and inbreeding. No grave goods were found inside the child’s grave, which was found beneath two rock slabs. This burial is the only one uncovered inside the cave.
A paper published on September 20 nature communication, Provides information about the life and appearance of this ancient child, providing valuable clues about the early human population of Southern Europe.
“Genetic analysis highlighted the close relationship between the child’s parents, showing that they were likely first cousins.” Let’s tell According to molecular anthropologist Alessandra Modi of the University of Florence, “a phenomenon rarely found in the Palaeolithic, but more common during the Neolithic.”
“Our work plays an important part in understanding the earliest stages of life in the Upper Paleolithic,” says Stefano Benazzi, professor of physical anthropology at the University of Bologna. “This pioneering study, which combines different techniques of analysis of skeletal remains, has provided us with an unprecedented insight into the development and living conditions of a child who lived in a critical period for the settlement of the Italian Peninsula, as well as giving us an insight into its Our research represents an important advance, demonstrating the importance of interdisciplinarity in deepening our knowledge of prehistoric populations.
Anthropological analyzes conducted by the University of Siena have provided a basis for understanding the physical development of the child. “The combination of these different methods has allowed us to reconstruct the life and death of this child with unprecedented precision,” says Stefano Ricci of the University of Siena.
