Rare Discovery of 10,000-Yr-Old Female Infant Burial in a Cave With Unique Funerary Customs Leaves Researchers Baffled

The discovery of ancient burials has long mesmerized archaeologists, highlighting lesser-known facts about human history, and cultural evolution. These findings help piece together how our ancestors perceived death and the afterlife. Among the most peculiar mortuary practices are those including infants, whose remains are rare due to their fragile nature and the probability of their bones getting destroyed throughout thousands of years, stated Nature. A discovery in Italy once left researchers stunned as they unraveled the earliest known burial of a female human infant in a cave—a remarkable find that rewrites aspects of European prehistory.

A team of archaeologists discovered the remains of a 40- to 50-day-old female infant, named "Neve" by researchers, in the Arma Veirana cave in Liguria, northwestern Italy. The burial, dated to approximately 10,000 years ago, belongs to the early Mesolithic Period, an era shortly after the last Ice Age. This discovery is iconic, as burials from this particular period are exceedingly rare, and even more so when they involve a baby. Lead author Jamie Hodgkins asserted, "The number of burials at this time, between about 10,000 and 11,000 years ago, is very, very rare... [I]t’s in a gap where we don’t have much of anything at all," according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Neve was buried with several grave goods, suggesting a strong sense of emotion and culture invested in her burial back then. Archaeologists found over 60 perforated shell beads, four shell pendants, and an eagle-owl talon near her remains. These artifacts were carefully placed, suggesting a high degree of ritualistic practice. These shell ornaments showed signs of wear and tear, indicating that they were likely passed down to Neve from adults within her community. Study co-author Fabio Negrino remarked, "The presence of perforated shells with traces of prolonged use means that these have been worn for a long time by the adults…These shells were perhaps sewn to her dress," stated Smithsonian Magazine.

This burial challenges old assumptions about gender-based social status in early hunter-gatherer societies. Hodgkins asserted, "Archaeological reports have tended to focus on male stories and roles, and in doing so have left many people out of the narrative. ... Without DNA analysis, this highly decorated infant burial could possibly have been assumed male." Upon further research of Neve’s remains, it was revealed that she experienced physiological stress before birth, causing interruptions in tooth growth at 47 and 28 days before delivery. Moreover, she also belonged to a European maternal lineage known as the U5b2b haplogroup. In 2017, while digging deeper into the cave, they uncovered Neve’s burial, stated Live Science.

Co-author Claudine Gravel-Miguel exclaimed, "I was excavating in the adjacent square and remember looking over and thinking, 'That’s a weird bone.'" Moreover, co-author Carey Orr exclaimed, "The Mesolithic is particularly interesting…It followed the end of the final ice age and represents the last period in Europe when hunting and gathering was the primary way of making a living. So, it's a really important time period for understanding human prehistory," stated Live Science.