Archaeologists at the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa) have discovered the world’s oldest burial, containing the remains of a distant relative of a small-brained man previously thought to be incapable of complex behavior. To work published at eLife.
Scientists have found several Homo naledi skeletons. The remains were buried about 30 meters underground in a cave system at the Cradle of Humanity (an intricate network of limestone caves that remains the epicenter of the discovery of ancient human fossils in South Africa).
“These are the oldest burials recorded in hominid history. They are at least 100,000 years older than Homo sapiens burials. The pits that were deliberately dug and filled in to conceal the bodies contain at least five individuals. These findings suggest that burial practices were limited to H. sapiens or other large-brained hominids,” the authors write. It shows that it is not.”
The findings challenge current understanding of human evolution, as the development of larger brains is thought to allow for complex, “meaningful” activities such as burying the dead. The burial site is not the only indication that Homo naledi was capable of complex emotional and cognitive behavior. Scientists have also discovered engravings that create geometric shapes.
“This not only means that humans are not unique in developing symbolic applications, but they may not even be the ones who discovered such applications,” the scientists said.