Archaeologists find 9,000-year-old grave of pregnant teenager in Sweden

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a young woman and a fetus in a cave on the island of Lilla Karlsö, located off the coast of Gotland, Sweden. The discovery was made during excavations in a side chamber of the Suder Vagnhus cave, which had been sealed with limestone blocks until recent investigations.

Initial assessments by researchers Alexander Sjöstrand and Olivia Bartholdson suggest the woman was in her late teens, aged between 14 and 19. The position of the bones indicates she was pregnant at the time of her death, with the fetus estimated to be between 32 and 34 weeks along.

While exact dating is pending radiocarbon and ancient DNA analysis, the archaeological layer suggests the remains date back approximately 8,000 to 9,500 years. If confirmed, this would represent one of the oldest known burials of a pregnant woman from the Stone Age in Sweden. Researchers also identified fragments of other individuals, including a small child, suggesting the cave served as a burial site for multiple people.