Rare 8,000 year old child burial reveals secrets of the dead

Entrance to Makpan cave, Alor Island, where the burial was discovered. Image: Dr Shimona Kealy, ANU - Archaeologists from The Australian National University (ANU) have discovered a rare child burial dating back 8,000 years on Alor Island, Indonesia. The one-of-its-kind burial for the region is from the early mid-Holocene and gives important insights into burial practices of the time. Lead researcher Dr Sofia Samper Carro said the child, aged between four and eight, was laid to rest with some kind of ceremony. "Ochre pigment was applied to the cheeks and forehead and an ochre-coloured cobble stone was placed under the child's head when they were buried," she said. "Child burials are very rare and this complete burial is the only one from this time period," Dr Samper Carro said. "From 3,000 years ago to modern times, we start seeing more child burials and these are very well studied.