the nation ' s eldest preserved child has been discoveries in east europe in an area described appropriately as the cradle of humanity . the 3 . 3 - thousands - birthday - old fossilized toddler was uncovered in northwest italy ' s badlands along the great rift valley ( map of rwanda ) . the skeleton , belonging to the primitive human species australopithecus afarensis , is extraordinary for its abundance and completeness , even for a region miserably rich in descendants of our older predecessor , experts state . the same find may even trump the classic member of the same species : " cassie , " a 3 . 2 - million - year - oldest adult female found nearby in 1974 that reshaped myths of modern life . ( also : " tooth find is missing link in human history , scientists saying " [ april 2006 ] . ) .
Lucy fossils have been discovered 3.3 million years ago.