The girl was a caucasian, probably of mid- or north-Italic origin.  Her body was embalmed and preserved using procedures characteristic of  the Roman period in Egypt: her brain and viscera were in situ and could be viewed easily by CT scan. She may have lived in Africa, but it cannot be concluded that she died there.  She had suffered from several infections or nutritional deficiencies -- transverse lines near the growth plates of her long bones (Harris lines) indicate periods of stress and recovery.   The ultimate cause of her death was bilateral fibrinous pleurisy.

But the Grottarosssa girl was not as poor as her health might suggest.  Next to her is the finely decorated sarcophagus in which she was interred, and with her in the sarcophagus were precious jewels of a funerary dowry.  The jewels are what brought the tiny Bambina di Grottarossa to the museum basement where the national collections of ancient jewels and coins are kept.  Around the walls of the room, dimly lit to prevent damage to her fragile remains, are glass cases where the precious stones, many of which are emeralds, are kept.