Prehistoric Babies: What We Know About Early Human Infants and Their Lives

When we think of prehistoric babies, infants born to early human species like Homo erectus or Neanderthals before written records. Also known as ancient human infants, they lived in a world without hospitals, diapers, or baby books—yet they survived, thrived, and shaped the future of our species. Unlike today, where we track every milestone with photos and apps, their lives were recorded only in bone, stone, and burial pits. Scientists don’t have videos or diaries, but they do have skeletons, tools, and graves—enough to piece together how these tiny humans lived, cried, and were cared for tens of thousands of years ago.

Studying fossilized remains, the preserved bones and teeth of infants from prehistoric times tells us more than just how old they were when they died. A 2020 study of a 1.5-million-year-old Homo erectus child’s spine showed their growth rate was faster than modern humans—meaning they reached milestones like walking sooner. Meanwhile, Neanderthal infants had larger heads and broader shoulders, likely to survive cold climates. These aren’t just curiosities—they show how environment shaped biology. Then there’s paleoanthropology, the science of studying ancient human ancestors through fossils and artifacts, which uses tools like CT scans and isotope analysis to figure out what these babies ate, how long they were breastfed, and even if they were carried in slings or left in cradles made of fur and moss. One site in Spain found a baby buried with a wild boar tusk, suggesting ritual, grief, or perhaps a belief in an afterlife.

It’s not just about bones. The tools found near infant remains hint at daily life. A tiny stone scraper near a 30,000-year-old infant in Italy may have been used to clean animal hides for clothing. In other sites, small beads and ochre pigments were placed with babies—signs of identity, status, or spiritual meaning. We now know that prehistoric mothers didn’t raise babies alone. Evidence from burial groups shows infants were often buried with adults who weren’t their biological parents, suggesting extended family care. And while modern parents worry about screen time, prehistoric parents worried about predators, starvation, and infection. Infant mortality was high, but those who survived were deeply embedded in their communities.

What’s surprising is how similar their needs were to ours. They needed warmth, touch, food, and safety. The same brain structures that make human babies cry for attention evolved long before cities, phones, or pediatricians. The real mystery isn’t how they survived—it’s how they learned to become adults in a world without schools or written language. Every fossilized tooth, every tiny handprint in clay, every burial site is a clue. And together, they paint a picture far richer than we once imagined.

Below, you’ll find real research, expert analysis, and surprising discoveries about how early humans raised their young—what worked, what failed, and what still echoes in how we care for babies today.