NewsOldest cemetery found in South Africa predates homo sapiens
Oldest cemetery found in South Africa predates homo sapiens
There was an extraordinary discovery in the Republic of South Africa. Research conducted there has identified the oldest known cemetery to humanity. However, there is a "but."
1:11 PM EDT, June 23, 2024
The mentioned "but" refers to the remains found in South Africa. As it turns out, they do not belong to Homo sapiens but to Homo naledi.
"This is surprising information because it was believed that these individuals did not possess sufficiently developed brains to understand the concept of death and burial rituals. The located burials are at least 100,000 years older than the oldest attributed to our species," emphasizes the portal Focus, which extensively describes the topic.
The remains of the described species were found in a well-known cave called the "Cradle of Humankind." They were located at a depth of 98 feet. From what time do they originate? The date sounds abstract – it is around 200,000 BCE.
What did Homo naledi look like? They were around 4 feet 11 inches tall and had a brain volume more than twice as small as Homo sapiens.
