Could 6,000-year-old infant ribs be the oldest case of child abuse?

Could 6,000-year-old infant ribs be the oldest case of child abuse?

Imagine finding a tiny toy car that’s been buried in your backyard for thousands of years, it would still be there today, just like this baby's ribs were found inside an ancient burial site. Scientists discovered these ribs, and they look broken, like when you fall off your bike and break your arm.

These ribs are super old, about as old as some of the first people who lived near the sea. They show signs of being crushed, just like if a grown-up squeezed a baby too hard or hit them with something heavy, like a big rock. It’s like seeing fingerprints on a glass, they can tell us what happened to that tiny child.

This baby might have been hurt by someone who was close to them, maybe even their parent. Scientists are like detectives, trying to solve the mystery of what happened so long ago. If this is true, it means people were hurting babies way back when, just like some kids get hurt today. It's a little reminder that kindness and hurt have been around for a really long time!