Ancient Remains of Woman, Fetus Identified
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Spanish researchers have identified the oldest remains of a woman who died in childbirth. The skeleton, which dates from 1500 BC to 1000 BC, was found near Murcia, Spain. The woman was about 25 years old, the fetus in the 37th to 39th week of gestation, they reported in the most recent International Journal of Osteoarcheology. The fetal skeleton was found in a crosswise position with one arm outside the uterus. The mother probably died of sepsis, hemorrhage and exhaustion, and the fetus of heart failure, researchers said.
