Archaeologists uncover 4,500-year-old baby rattles that reveal ancient parenting techniques

Recent research shows that parents have long looked for ways to keep their children entertained - including during the Bronze Age.

The National Museum of Denmark recently announced the discovery of 4,500-year-old baby rattles from Syria. 

The research, which also involved historians from Archéorient CNRS in France and the University of Milan, was recently published in the journal Childhood in the Past.

The rattles contained small pebbles or pieces of clay. 

"They were probably sold at the market to parents who wanted to entertain - or distract - their children," the press release noted.

How do archaeologists know the toys were designed for children? For one, the rattlers make such a low noise it's unlikely that they were used as musical instruments.

Experts also observed that the handles are "very small and not suitable for adults, but they fit exactly into a small child's hand," the release said.

National Museum of Denmark researcher Mette Marie Hald, one of the co-authors of the study, said the material culture of children is often overlooked in archaeology.

"When you find items such as these, the tendency in archaeology has been to interpret them as musical instruments or even cultic objects when, really, they are something much more down-to-earth and relatable such as toys for children," Hald said. 

She said that the millennia-old toys aided the sensory and motor development of young ones, just as rattles do today.

"Perhaps parents also needed to distract their children now and then so that they could have a bit of peace and quiet to themselves. Today, we use screens. Back then, it was rattles."

"This scenario is entirely recognizable to us today."