The oldest cases of Down syndrome in the Neolithic. Children with Down syndrome were recognized as full members of their communities already in prehistory.
This is demonstrated by the analysis of ancient DNA on six burials. One case found in a church cemetery in Finland dates back to the 18th century. Other five are much older: they date back to between 5,000 and 2,500 years ago. All six individuals died at very young ages, with only one child reaching the first year of life.