Homo naledi may have made etchings on cave walls and buried its dead

In 2021, the skull of an infant was discovered in a narrow, nearly inaccessible fissure, suggesting that this human deliberately buried its dead.This finding also suggests that H. Naledi Fire could have been controlled to navigate the labyrinth of dark passageways, and last December Dr Berger published evidence of extensive use of fire in the Rising Star cave system, including soot, hearths and burnt bones. .

Now, Berger and his colleagues have announced an even more remarkable discovery from Rising Star Cave.

Berger first entered the cave in July last year when the researchers discovered the cave carvings. He had to lose 25 kilograms of his weight to get through a narrow rock passage about 17.5 centimeters wide. “It was incredibly difficult to get in and I wasn’t sure if I would ever get out of there,” he says.

To his surprise, Berger found several carvings on the natural pillars that formed the entrances to the corridors that connected Dinareddy’s rooms. H. Naledi Fossils were first found in the leech antechamber where other remains were found.

In three different areas of the wall, he saw geometric shapes, mostly composed of lines 5 to 15 centimeters long, deeply carved into the dolomite stone. The rock is so hard that it would have taken a lot of effort to carve it. Many of these lines intersect to form geometric patterns such as squares, triangles, crosses, and ladder shapes.

“There was a moment of awe and amazement to see these highly recognizable symbols carved into the walls,” Berger says. “It was totally unexpected to see these symbols.”

Apart from 47 people who recently accessed the cave, there is no evidence that others have entered the cave. H. Naledi Having been inside, researchers argue that these extinct humans must have left their mark. However, this is only a preliminary report of the findings, and the team has not yet specified a date for the findings.

It is known that Neanderthals created similar symbols over 64,000 years ago, and modern humans in southern Africa created similar symbols from about 80,000 years ago. If the symbols in the Rising Star cave were really made, H. Naledithey could be much older.

Berger says that for the task of carving this incredibly hard rock into what appears to be key locations in these very remote areas, there must be some meaning to them. be interpreted as,” he argues.

Some are more cautious. “It is too early to conclude that the symbolic imprints were made by hominins, especially those with small brains.” H. Naledisays Emma Pomeroy of the University of Cambridge. “While these findings are intriguing, exciting and thought-provoking, more evidence and analysis are needed to support the substantive claims being made about them.”

Berger’s team is working on new evidence, such as the skull of an infant discovered in 2021, that may indicate intentional burial in the ground, a different burial practice than burying bodies in crevices. also detailed. In one part of Dinaledi’s room, researchers found 83 bodies. Bone fragments and teeth that seemingly emerged from a single body in an oval area of ​​disturbed soil.

They also found another possible burial site in Hill’s vestibule. In this example, an area of ​​rubble containing a high concentration of bone fragments was plastered, removed intact from the cave system, and a CT scanner was used to reveal its contents.

It shows many bone and tooth fragments from a single juvenile that appeared to have been primarily in a fetal position, an arrangement also seen in prehistoric times. H. clever He was buried with the fragmented bodies of three other boys. Interestingly, a single stone artifact (14 cm long, a characteristic crescent-shaped stone with stripes on its surface) was found near the hand of one of his remains. .

Although these analyzes are only preliminary, the researchers suggest that the orientation of the bones and the pattern of soil disturbance suggested that the bodies were intentionally dug and then buried in sediment-covered pits. claims to show If confirmed, these burials would be at least 160,000 years older than the oldest known human burials in Africa.

Other experts are not yet convinced. “This is an excellent attempt to prove that at least two bodies were deliberately buried in shallow pits, and we cannot rule this out,” said Paul Pettit of Durham University in the UK. “I’m not sure if the team proved this was a deliberate burial. Let’s walk before we run.”

Sylvia Bello of the Natural History Museum in London points out that although the bones are fragmented, deliberately buried skeletons are usually better preserved.

outstanding behavior

Further analysis, such as a more detailed scan of hill features, should help resolve this issue. Nevertheless, new research is already building a richer picture. H. Naledi and its behavior. “The evidence is impressive,” says Chris Stringer, also of the Natural History Museum.

“These humans were carrying the remains of their fellow naledi deep into the cave, and there must have been artificial lighting,” he says. “This is surprising behavior for a creature with a brain the size of an ape. It suggests organization, because it must have been a group activity, not something one individual does.” And it has obviously happened more than once, which means the existence of what we should call culture, another species that is not closely related to us.”

“There’s a lot of very intentional action in that cave complex,” says Genevieve von Petzinger of Portugal’s Tomar University of Technology. “It’s not like a lot of people fell into the pit and got scrapes.”

Such sophisticated behavior was thought to be possible only in hominids with large brains. clever person and Neanderthals. “These are challenging findings, and they certainly make us think about what it means to be human,” Stringer said, questioning why humans developed such large brains.

In the meantime, further research in the Rising Star cave system will be limited while researchers seek the best way to explore the site without destroying it.

“homoster I changed almost every space. So we’ve become very cautious about letting people into that space until we’ve decided exactly how to approach it.” Berger thinks, says. “We humans have to decide how to approach the universe of other species, which we obviously thought were vitally important to them.”