In 2013, deep within the Rising Star cave system of South Africa, Homo naledi, a small-brained early human relative, was found to have buried their dead, revealing an unexpected aspect of their behavior. This discovery, detailed in the article Homo naledi and the Ritual of Death, provides new evidence suggesting that Homo naledi may have engaged in burial practices much earlier than previously thought.
Published in eLife, this research challenges conventional views on early human ancestors, opening the door to a broader understanding of the cognitive and cultural behaviors that may have been present long before the emergence of modern humans or Neanderthals.
A Tomb Deep in the Earth
Imagine descending into a pitch-black cave, 30 meters underground, where the air is thick and the passages are narrow. That’s where researchers, led by Lee Berger of the University of the Witwatersrand, found the first evidence that Homo naledi may have deliberately buried their dead. The bones weren’t scattered randomly—they were carefully placed, and the bodies were covered by sediment before they had time to fully decompose. This discovery suggests that these early humans might have had cultural rituals surrounding death, a trait once believed to belong solely to our species.
What’s even more incredible? The “Puzzle Box” where the fossils were found contained remains from at least 15 individuals. More than 1,500 bones were uncovered, and the latest excavations in 2017 and 2018 revealed even more—additional teeth and articulated bones, including those of juveniles and adults. Some of these skeletons were so well preserved that entire anatomical connections remained intact, like a foot and ankle still attached to a leg. This suggests the bodies were deliberately placed in the cave, rather than being carried in by animals or water.
The Mind-Blowing Implications: Could They Have Been More Like Us Than We Thought?
The idea that Homo naledi, a species with a brain one-third the size of ours, could have engaged in complex rituals like burial challenges long-held assumptions about early humans. Previously, the act of burying the dead was considered a hallmark of modern human behavior, linked to abstract thinking, emotions, and even spirituality.
But these findings push that timeline back, suggesting that symbolic thinking and mortuary practices may have existed long before we imagined.
This discovery is a game-changer. Not only does it place Homo naledi as a more culturally sophisticated species than we thought, but it also forces us to reconsider the very idea of what it means to be human. These ancient hominins weren’t just simple creatures wandering the earth—they might have been planning, cooperating, and even thinking symbolically, long before modern humans appeared on the scene.
The implications are enormous: Homo naledi, despite having a brain only about one-third the size of ours, may have been capable of behaviors that require considerable cognitive sophistication. They stood about 1.2 meters tall (roughly four feet), and the fact that they could navigate the narrow, treacherous passages of the Rising Star caves, potentially with fire to light their way, further suggests a high degree of cooperation and planning.
A Mystery Still Unfolding: What Were These Burials For?
The caves where the bodies were found seem to have been used exclusively for burial purposes. There’s no evidence that Homo naledi lived there, so why go through the trouble of bringing bodies deep into a cave system? Was it simply practical—keeping the bodies away from scavengers—or was it a more spiritual or emotional gesture? Did they believe something beyond this life, or were they trying to keep their dead safe from the dangers of the outside world?
There’s still a lot we don’t know about Homo naledi. Their small stature and primitive shoulder and hip formations are striking, but they also had hands and feet surprisingly similar to ours. Carrying bodies into the depths of the cave system would have required cooperation, planning, and possibly even fire to navigate in complete darkness. These discoveries imply cognitive skills we hadn’t expected from such an ancient ancestor.