Remains of 2,500-year-old baby, who may have been buried alive, found in Mexico cave

The ancient skeletal remains of three people were recently unearthed in Mexico, shedding light on the violent practices of past societies, officials said.

Believed to be between 2,500 and 3,000 years old, the bones were found hidden inside of a cave in the state of Nuevo León, which shares a border with Texas.

The bones, which included several ribs and loose teeth, were identified as belonging to a baby and two children based on their small size, according to a Jan. 2 news release from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

They appear to have been dismembered and concealed in the cave as part of a funerary practice, archaeologist Moisés Valadez Moreno said in the release.

Ancient inhabitants of northeastern Mexico commonly practiced infanticide, particularly on infants who were seen as weak or inauspicious, Moreno said.

For example, if a woman died during childbirth, her child would be killed and buried alongside her.

After the birth of twins, which were seen as a bad omen, only the strongest was chosen to survive, while the other would be buried alive, Moreno said. Children born with abnormalities met the same fate.

In addition to the bones, archaeologists discovered 1,500 artifacts inside the cave, named La Morita II, including spearheads that could be 4,500 years old.

Fragments of baskets and other perishable materials dating back around 3,000 years were also found.

Since archaeological excavation began in the cave in 2003, over 30,000 artifacts have been recovered, officials said.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from INAH.

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