Extinct Hominins Buried Their Dead, Carved Symbols 100,000 Years Before Homo Sapiens

The skeleton of Homo naledi, a newly discovered human ancestor, is displayed during the unveiling of the discovery in Maropeng, South Africa, on Sept. 10, 2015. (Stefan Heunis/AFP/Getty Images)

A team of researchers have found new evidence suggesting that an extinct hominin species buried their dead and made symbols as part of meaning-making behaviors, actions which were until now thought to be exclusive to larger-brained hominins like Homo sapiens.

The hominin is a member of the zoological tribe hominini. Only a single species of hominins survive today—Home sapiens or human beings.

While exploring the Rising Star cave system in South Africa, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and paleoanthropologist Lee Berger and his team discovered the bodies of adults and children of the Homo naledi species inside the chambers of the cave system.

Homo naledi is an extinct hominin species.

Many of the children found in the cave were younger than 13 years of age. The bodies were placed in fetal positions, suggesting intentional burial of the dead, National Geographic reported on June 5. The research was funded by the National Geographic Society.

Homo naledi burials in the cave system predate Homo sapien burials by at least 100,000 years. This not only makes Homo naledi burials some of the most ancient in hominin history but also suggests that burials may not be limited to larger-brained hominins like Homo sapiens as previously understood.

The team also discovered engraved symbols on cave walls that are estimated to be 241,000 to 335,000 years old. These symbols include geometric shapes and cross-hatchings. The lines on the engravings appear to have been made by repeatedly passing a sharp tool through the grooves.

Such symbols or intentional designs are seen to signify the recording and transmission of information. The activities are recognized to be a major cognitive step in the evolution of human beings, according to National Geographic.

“These recent findings suggest intentional burials, the use of symbols, and meaning-making activities by Homo naledi. It seems an inevitable conclusion that in combination they indicate that this small-brained species of ancient human relatives was performing complex practices related to death,” Berger said in the report.

“That would mean not only are humans not unique in the development of symbolic practices, but may not have even invented such behaviors,” he said.

Preparing Engraving Surfaces

Berger and his team revealed their findings in three papers posted at BioRxiv. One of the papers points to the intense preparation that went into making the engravings.

“The surfaces bearing these engravings appear to have been prepared and smoothed. In some areas, there is residue that creates a sheen on the surface possibly indicating repeated handling or rubbing of the rock, and there is evidence of the application of dirt or sand to the surface by non-natural processes,” the paper said.

The first Homo naledi fossils were found in the Dinaledi chamber of the Rising Star cave system by Berger and his team in 2013. As the chamber is very narrow, Berger had to lose 55 pounds to pass through it last year.

Berger’s team included Keneiloe Molopyane, a lead excavator, and Agustin Fuentes, the on-site biocultural specialist.

“With each new finding, Lee shifts our understanding of human evolution,” said Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society. “The Society is proud to support Lee, Agustin, Keneiloe, and the rest of their team who are making significant contributions to science and exploration in their pursuit of answers about our ancient past.”

Older Human Ancestor Fossils

Last year, the fossils of an early human ancestor from another cave in South Africa were found to be far older than earlier estimates, making them even older than the famed Lucy fossil from Ethiopia that was dated to 3.2 million years.

Fossils from the Sterkfontein Cave, belonging to the genus Australopithecus, were initially thought to have been from 2 million to 2.6 million years ago.

But researchers who used a new technique to date the fossils found them to be from 3.4 million to 3.6 million years ago, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on June 27, 2022.

The fossils are from “Member 4” infill of Sterkfontein, which contains the richest deposit of Australopithecus fossils anywhere in the world. The first Australopithecus fossil was discovered in the caves back in 1936, with hundreds being excavated since then.