Archaeologists in Taiwan have uncovered a human fossil of a mother looking down at a child being cradled in her arms.

The 4,800-year-old human fossils were unearthed in graves located in the Taichung area. The 48 set of remains are reportedly the earliest findings of human presence in the central Taiwanese region.

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The discovery was announced on Tuesday by the Anthropology Department at Taiwan's National Museum of Natural Science.

"When it was unearthed, all of the archaeologists and staff members were shocked. Why? Because the mother was looking down at the baby in her hands," said Chu Whei-lee, a curator with the department.

The age of the fossils was reportedly determined after carbon dating. The fossils, which included the remains of five children, were traced to the Neolithic Age - specifically the Stone Age.

According to researchers, the young mother was about 5 foot 2 inches tall. While the child lying in her arms was about a foot-and-a-half.

Archaeologists began excavating the site since May 2014. The project took about a year to complete.

Reports of the mother and child fossils have gone viral since its announcement. For many across the world, this has a special significance as mother's day approaches.

Researchers have unearthed similar findings of mothers holding their children in the past.

Last year, Chinese archaeologists discovered the interlocked remains of a mother and child from the Bronze Age. The site has been named the 'Pompeii of the East.'

Archaeologists postulate that the mother was trying to shield the child from a powerful earthquake. The earthquake reportedly struck central China's Qinghai province around 2,000 BC. The earthquake is believed to have been accompanied by massive floods from the Yellow River.  

Images of the remains reportedly show the kneeling mother looking up to the clouds with her arms wrapped around her child.

TagsTaiwan, china, chinese archaeologists, 4800 year-old fossil Taiwan