In 1998, archaeologist Mauro Calattini discovered a 17,000-year-old infant in Monopoli, Italy. The discovery changed how scientists and archaeologists thought about life after the Last Glacial Maximum (some 20,000 years ago). The baby boy was discovered in the Grotta delle Mura cave, and his remains suggest a change in population and genetic variability in the southern and northern regions of Italy.
The Grotta delle Mura Caves
Due to the cold temperatures of the Grotta delle Mura caves, the infant’s remains were largely intact and well-preserved. Archaeologists found roughly 75% of the child’s genome, which provided a fountain of information about his short life and that of his mother.
Dark Skin and Brown Eyes
The Infant of Grotta delle Mura had dark skin, brown curly hair, blue eyes and was 82 centimeters in length. His genome indicates that his parents were first cousins, indicating a rare instance of inbreeding more commonly found in the Neolithic period.
Reduced Genetic Diversity
The child’s inbreeding suggests a need to reinforce tribe/clan ties. Unions like this have only been documented twice in the European Upper Palaeolithic period and are therefore considered uncommon, but reduced genetic diversity in the region may account for this.
A Genetic Mutation
The child’s parentage resulted in a genetic mutation. DNA analysis found that the child had a condition called Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. This condition thickens and stiffens the heart’s walls over time, preventing the heart from pumping enough blood throughout the body.
Cardiomyopathy
The infant died of congestive heart failure, likely linked to his cardiomyopathy. He was no older than 18 months when he died. He was buried with no grave goods and his was the only grave found in the cave. He was discovered under two rock slabs.
Dental Analysis
Dental analysis suggest that the child experienced several physiological stress events during his development and life. For example, isotopes in his teeth indicate that he was born to a malnourished mother who remained in one area before she gave birth. Analysis also revealed that he had an earlier but poorer development than average.
A Traumatic Birth
The mother’s lack of movement during her last months of pregnancy suggests poor health and studies of the infant’s remains revealed that his birth was traumatic, as he sustained a fracture to the collarbone. The child is said to have lived in the same area where he was discovered. Between his mother’s movements during pregnancy and his lack of movement after birth, archaeologists suggest a possible migration event of the child’s people.
Skeletal Analysis
The skeletal analysis indicates that the child had a genetic relationship with other Italian hunter-gathers descended from a group called the Villabtuna cluster. This discovery shows that the Villabruna group were located on the italian peninsula before the ice age ended. The infant’s ancestary has been traced back to Sicily and southern Italy.
“Unprecedented Insight”
Stefano Benazzi, a Professor of physical Anthropology at the University of Bologna, stated that this discovery and the methods used to study the infant’s body has provided “unprecedented insight” into an important period of for Italian peninsula settlers as well as information on the mother and hunter-gathers of the era.
Analysing the Remains
Archaeologists and researchers used Radiocarbon analysis, Palaeohistology, Spatially resolved geochemical analyses and Paleogenomics to analyse the remains. This analysis gave researchers a better look at the life of late Upper Palaeolithic individuals – such as this infant and his parents. Therefore this discovery, made nearly three decades ago, can provide a better understanding of human biological and relationship patterns of the time.
Sources
Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy
17,000-Year-Old Remains Reveal Ancient Baby Likely Had Blue Eyes And Heart Disease
17,000-year-old remains of blue-eyed baby boy unearthed in Italy
17,000 Year Old Remains Could Be Oldest Evidence of Blue Eyes
