Good news #1: Ancient People Caring for Their Infirm

Several archaeologists and psychologists have been studying the remains of ancient people around the world to determine something unusual:  How did these people from so long ago care for their infirm?

I was personally quite awed to learn that there is evidence to suggest that people even tens of thousands of years ago cared for the disabled among them.  Whether the condition was as severe as polio or spina bifida, or as simple as shorter-than-average limbs, there is much to support the argument that many ancient tribes had ways of accommodating their disabled, often extending the afflicted people's lifespans by a decade or more.

This article comes from a recent article in the New York Times, and can be read in its entirety below.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/science/ancient-bones-that-tell-a-story-of-compassion.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=science