Ancient Africans buried their children: 07-08-2008
Scientists in Morocco have uncovered evidence that prehistoric Africans cared for their children so much that they were given similar burials to older members of the family.
The evidence goes against previous theories that prehistoric man didn't care for their young in the modern sense of the word.
Archaeologists are citing the remains of several newborns, who had been covered in red ochre, found in a burial cave at Taforalt, eastern Morocco.
Moroccan Institute of Archaeology and Heritage expert Abdeljalil Bouzouggar said the evidence disproves earlier theories.
"For years these people have wrongly been thought of as individuals whose only wish was to eat, reproduce, and protect themselves from the elements and predators," he said.
"Now we discover that 12,000 years ago they granted their babies the same rights as adults."
The cave was used as a graveyard by the Iberomaurusian people who inhabited the region 22,000 to 9,000 years ago.