The Oldest Known Grave Turned Out to Be Not Man-Made

Continuing excavations in South Africa paleontologistsmanaged to unearth the oldest tomb ever discovered. The most interesting feature of this grave is that it is the grave of a small-brained species that is not very similar to the humans we know today. It was previously thought that this species could not perform complex behaviors such as burying.

From famous paleontologists Lee Berger In the research conducted under the leadership of Homo naledi It was stated that a grave belonging to the species called was found. This humanoid species, which lived in the Stone Age, climbed trees and hid in caves. Johannesburg located nearby and on the UNESCO World Heritage list. “Cradle of Humanity” The tomb, located in the cave system, is 30 meters below the surface.

They were not expected to do “meaningful” activities

Previously in the Middle East and Africa 100 thousand years old graves were found. The remains of Homo Sapiens, that is, today’s people, were found in these graves. Our more primitive distant relatives, such as Homo naledi, were thought to be incapable of creating meaningful structures such as tombs.

The tomb discovered in Africa 200 thousand years It goes back to before. Homo naledi was discovered in 2013 as a short (about 1.5 meters) race that walked on two legs, had curved fingers, could use tools, but had a brain volume the size of an orange.