Eerie infant grave is oldest baby twin burial EVER found – dating back 31,000 years
THE oldest twin burial ever found may have been discovered in Austria, according to a new study.
The eerie grave contains the remains of two infant twins and dates back to 31,000 years ago.
That means the twins would have lived briefly during the Upper Palaeolithic, also called the Old Stone Age.
This period was around 50,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Analysis of both twins showed one died just after childbirth and the other lived for around 50 days before being buried beside its sibling.
A third infant was found buried nearby and could have been a cousin of the twins.
Upper Paleolithic period – the key facts
Here's what you need to know...
- The Upper Paleolithic period is the third and last "subdivision" of the Paleolithic age
- It's better known as the Late Stone Age, and took place between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago
- It was followed by the Holocene, which is the current geological age
- Anatomically modern humans emerged from Africa around 200,000 years ago
- But it was only until 50,000 years ago that a marked increase in the diversity of human creations began
- The period also coincides with the extinction of the Neanderthals
- The Late Stone Age has the earliest known evidence of organised settlements like campsites
- We also saw a blossoming of artistic work, as well as evidence of fishing and specialised tool creation
In other archaeology news, the insides of Egyptian mummies found in 1615 have been revealed for the first time thanks to modern technology.
The 'biggest archaeological discovery of the year' will soon be announced by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
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And, a sacrificed llama mummies have been dug up in Peru and they're almost perfectly preserved after 500 years.
What do you think of this grave discovery? Let us know in the comments...
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