Skeletal affection

1st image) A woman and 2 children laid to rest embracing on a bed of flowers 5,000 years ago in what is now the barren Sahara Desert. The grave is among 200 found in Gobero, Niger, in 2005 and 2006 by Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago and his colleagues, who refer to it as the "Stone Age Embrace."
2nd image) A skeletal couple found in an embrace in 2007 at a Neolithic site near Mantua, Italy. They had been buried between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago and were no more than 20 years old at death. "I am so thrilled at this find...because this is the discovery of something special," says lead archaeologist Elena Maria Menotti. The "Lovers of Valdaro," as they have been dubbed, were removed en bloc for analysis at the Musei Civici in Como, but are now looking for a permanent home.
3rd image) Skeletons found in situ in a Roman house in Kourion, Cyprus, by David and Noelle Soren in the mid-1980s include a family killed in the earthquake that struck in 365 A.D. The mother cradles an infant in her arms as the the father tries to protect them both from the falling debris.
4th image) The skeletons of a man and woman found in a joint tomb in Modena, Italy, in 2006. They were buried during the Roman Era - 1,500 years ago - holding hands. The male (left) and female were originally positioned as if the were gazing at each other, but the man's head rolled away after burial, possibly due to flooding from the nearby river. The bones are being studied at the University of Bologna to determine their ages, relationship, and cause of death. Excavation director Donato Labate said, “I have been involved in many digs but I’ve never felt so moved."

Thanks to follower Jill Harris!