Scientists have discovered the 17,000-year-old skeleton of a Ice Age baby boy in southern Italy. DNA analysis revealed the child likely had blue eyes, dark skin, and curly dark-brown to black hair. 

The remains were found in 1998 by Archaeologist Mauro Calattini in a cave called Grotta delle Mura, located in Monopoli, Italy. The skeleton was well-preserved and intact, but there were no items buried with the child. Archaeologists believe the boy died at about 1 year and 4 months old, possibly from a heart condition.

The baby’s remains provide rare insights into life during the Ice Age, showing evidence of poor development and hardship even before birth.

What is the Ice Age?

An ice age is a time when Earth's temperature drops, causing large areas of the planet to be covered in ice, like polar ice sheets and glaciers. Earth's climate goes through cycles, with periods of ice ages and warmer times called greenhouse periods, when there are no glaciers at all.

Source: Media Reports