Copper Age Infant Remains Unearthed in Italy Reveal Rare Insights into Ancient Europe

In a groundbreaking archaeological discovery, researchers from the University of Bologna have unearthed the remains of a Copper Age infant—dating back nearly 4,000 to 5,000 years—from a well near Faenza, Italy.

The team published their findings in the Journal of Archaeological Science, revealing rare insights into the health and ancestry of prehistoric European life.

How Did They Revive the Remains

The excavation took place ahead of a planned construction project in the area. Although the skeletal remains were badly degraded, scientists were able to retrieve and study them using a mix of advanced tools and methods, revealing surprising details about the child’s age, health, and ancestry.

Researchers recovered only a crown tooth and a few small bone fragments, which made analysis difficult due to how fragile the remains were. As noted in the study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, this kind of degradation is especially common in child remains, whose bones are typically more delicate and prone to breaking down.

To work around this, the team used a combination of old and new techniques. Alongside traditional osteological analysis (the study of bones), they applied newer tools like paleoproteomics (study of ancient proteins), dental histology (examining tooth microstructures), radiocarbon dating (to estimate age), and biogeochemistry (to understand diet and environment).

The team estimated the child’s age to be around 17 months by studying the growth lines on the tooth enamel, similar to how scientists study tree rings to understand a tree’s age and growth conditions.

Interestingly, there were no signs of malnutrition or physical stress on the remains, which suggests that both the child and the mother were in good health—a finding that challenges common assumptions about poor living conditions during the Copper Age.

Determining the child’s sex was tricky without a full skeleton, but using proteomic studies, researchers found a peptide in the enamel that is only present in males, confirming the child was male.

A Rare Genetic Link

Despite the limited remains, scientists successfully reconstructed the child’s mitochondrial genome. It belonged to a rare haplogroup—V+@72—previously found in just one other ancient sample from a necropolis in Sardinia and linked to the Saami people of northern Europe and Spain’s Cantabrian Coast.

This rare lineage hints at long-distance connections between southern Italy and far northern regions, extending beyond the Alpine boundaries. It opens up new questions about migration and cultural exchange in prehistoric Europe.

Why This Matters

This discovery shows how new-age methods can help recover lost history, even from the most degraded remains. It not only underscores the power of multi-disciplinary research, but also suggests that ancient communities may have been more linked than we usually imagine.

Reference:

1. Higgins, Owen Alexander, Francesco Fontani, et al. “Reconstructing Life History and Ancestry From Poorly Preserved Skeletal Remains: A Bioanthropological Study of a Copper Age Infant From Faenza (RA, Italy).” Journal of Archaeological Science 180 (June 26, 2025): 106291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2025.106291.

(Rh/Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)