What a Mysterious Italian Child Grave Suggests About Ancient Fears and Beliefs

Guest: David Soren, Professor of Anthropology, University of Arizona In central Italy between Rome and Florence there’s an ancient burial ground known as the “Cemetery of Babies.” It dates to the 5th Century AD and may hold the remains of children who died in a devastating malaria epidemic. Archaeologists and anthropologists working there are uncovering lots of unusual things – including recently a 10-year-old child buried with a rock jammed in its mouth. What can these discoveries tell us about how ancient Romans thought about life, death and disease?