Two newborns or infants from a double burial excavated in Croatia near the ancient Roman city of Tragurion were fraternal twins. This is the conclusion reached by scientists who published an article in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, in which they described the results of their studies of the remains, dating back to the end of the first and the end of the second century AD. Apparently, the boy and girl were either stillborn or died within the first two months of life.
Ancient burials of newborns and infants are not often found by archaeologists, especially considering that prehistoric, ancient, and medieval societies likely had very high infant mortality rates. This is often because babies were not considered fully human and were buried differently from adults; they were often buried outside of or on the outskirts of necropolises. In addition, children's bones are much less well preserved over time.
Burials of children under one year of age are also clearly underrepresented in numerous Roman necropolises. However, not long ago, archaeologists conducted rescue excavations in Croatia in the vicinity of the ancient city of Tragurion (modern Trogir), founded by the Greeks on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. During these works, scientists examined the small necropolis of Dragulin, which had been damaged by modern construction and was apparently associated with a villa located outside the city walls. According to the researchers, more than a third of the 42 burials found at this site belonged to newborns, infants, or children in their first couple of years of life.
Anna Osterholtz of the University of Mississippi and her colleagues from Slovenia and Croatia devoted an article to the study of one of the graves of this necropolis. In this burial, archaeologists found the remains of two newborns or infants who were buried in a common grave between the end of the first and the end of the second century AD in a sideways position facing each other, and without any accompanying artifacts (at least preserved ones).
Despite the poor state of preservation of the children's bones, scientists conducted a comprehensive study, including ancient DNA and isotope analysis. Archaeological evidence indicated that the babies were buried at the same time (or almost at the same time), and judging by the development of their bones and teeth, they were either stillborn or died shortly after birth - a maximum of two months. Moreover, pathologies on their remains indicate that the children suffered from placental insufficiency, that is, during intrauterine development they did not receive enough nutrients, which led to metabolic disorders.
Since the babies were buried in the same grave, it was immediately possible to assume that they were possibly close relatives. To check this, the scientists turned to genetic analysis. The genomic study confirmed the assumption and indicated that the burial contained the remains of fraternal twins, one of whom was a boy and the other a girl. Apparently, their parents came from local populations that are genetically no different from the population of the Balkans of the Iron Age, that is, the pre-Roman period.
Earlier, N + 1 reported on the study of the burials of two infants excavated in Armenia. At that time, scientists came to the conclusion that in the 16th century BC, the ancient inhabitants of the Caucasus buried two girls under a vishap who died shortly after birth. Judging by the genetic analysis, they were very close relatives.
