A team of Spanish scientists has reached some important conclusions about the cause of death of newborn infants who passed away prematurely in large numbers on the Iberian Peninsula more than 2,000 years ago. According to researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), these infants died of natural causes, such as labor-related complications or premature births, and not because they were murdered or sacrificed. The infants in question belonged to what archaeologists refer to as the Iberian culture. The people of this culture lived in the eastern and southern coastal regions of the Iberian Peninsula during the Iron Age, which lasted from the eighth through the first centuries BC. Unusual Infant Burials Spark Questions The Iberians usually cremated their dead, storing the remains in urns that would be buried in a necropolis. Curiously, however, archaeologists have unearthed the burials of many Iberian newborns that were not cremated. Additionally, these tiny skeletons were not buried in regular cemeteries, but in areas where houses and production facilities were built. The Restless Peninsula: The Proud and Colorful History of Iberia How the Great La Tene Culture Changed Iron Age Europe Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesEuropeRead Later