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(Homeland) - According to researchers, the recent discovery will make us rethink the history of fire, the origin of concepts, and the act of burying the deceased.
Researchers found archaeological evidence indicating an ancient human species burying the deceased and carving symbols on cave walls thousands of years before modern burial practices began.
Scientists named this ancient human species Homo naledi. Based on skull analysis, experts determined that the brain of Homo naledi is only one-third the size of the modern human brain. This discovery could reshape our understanding of human evolution, as the observed behaviors (symbolic carving, burial) are often associated with larger-brained species like Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.
The data mentioned above are cited from three research papers, all published in the eLife journal.
The fossilized remains of Homo naledi were first discovered in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa during an excavation in 2013. The mentioned cave system is part of the Cradle of Humankind - a UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site and the area where archaeologists have uncovered many ancestors of modern humans.
Alongside the team of 'underground astronauts,' Professor Lee Berger - a renowned paleoanthropologist and explorer working for National Geographic - toiled tirelessly in the perilous cave environment to unveil the origins of humanity. The effort bore fruit as the exploration team discovered the remains of Homo naledi individuals of various ages, carefully arranged in a subterranean chamber. These burial sites date back at least 100,000 years earlier than the oldest Homo sapien graves.
While excavating these burial sites, scientists found a series of symbols carved on cave walls. Initial surveys indicate that these drawings date from 241,000 to 335,000 years ago, although the figures may change as the data undergoes further analysis.
The wall symbols consist of intersecting lines similar to hashtag (#) signs and some basic shapes. Archaeologists have also found similar zigzag patterns in Homo sapien and Neanderthal caves, but those are dated at 80,000 and 60,000 years old, respectively. Researchers speculate that these drawings served similar purposes, preserving and sharing information.
Cramped Archaeological Area
Exploration and excavation activities in the Rising Star cave system are not for the faint-hearted. So far, the exploration team has mapped about 4 km of the cave, reaching depths of 100 m and spanning over 200 m in length. Inside the cave are steep inclines with few footholds and narrow, challenging crevices. Some gaps are as narrow as 25 cm, and Professor Lee Berger recounts having to lose 25 kg to continue pursuing his passion for exploration.
'This is the most dreadful and exciting experience of my life,' the professor recounts. 'I almost lost my life during exploration, but the effort was rewarded with groundbreaking discoveries. Yet, I believe the crucial point here is that the journey into the cave was not as challenging for Homo naledi as one might think.'
Ancient human-like beings, capable of standing upright like us and manipulating tools with dexterous hands, Homo naledi, however, possesses a smaller head, a more hunched back, a slenderer frame, and a robust constitution than us. Based on fossilized bone structures, it can be observed that the shoulders of Homo naledi are well-suited for climbing.
The research team discovered numerous Homo naledi fossils throughout the cave, including both infants and adults. Delving deeper into the cavern, the team of archaeologists increasingly saw evidence that Homo naledi moved through the hazardous terrain with ease.
In 2015, when we first unearthed the existence of Homo naledi on Earth, the notion that ancient human-like beings practiced group burials sparked varied opinions. Many believed that the brain of Homo naledi was too small to engage in behaviors requiring complex thought processes.
Subsequent findings have proven that Homo naledi once led a culturally distinctive life. 'This is not a body dumped in a pit. It's an entire body deliberately covered with soil and debris at the burial site, indicating that the skeleton was buried intact, not a casualty at this location,' Professor Berger remarked.
And then, the research team unearthed artifacts in the Homo naledi graves and even discovered engravings on cave walls.
Ancient Drawings
In one burial site, scientists uncovered a meticulously shaped stone tool placed beside a mature Homo naledi individual. Throughout the cave's ceiling and walls around the ancient creature's resting place, diverse engravings of various forms adorned the surroundings.
According to Professor Berger, the cave walls are as hard as half a diamond (the hardest material on the Mohs hardness scale), so the engraving behavior consumed a significant amount of time for the ancient leadership species.
As the research team deduced, the markings indicate that Homo sapiens never entered the cave, and these engravings belong to the ancient Homo naledi group. Traces of fire - such as ash, charcoal, and burnt bones - are scattered around, revealing why Homo naledi could navigate and work in the dark environment.
The meaning of these engravings remains inexplicable, and researchers cannot confirm whether this is a form of language for Homo naledi. They can only affirm that these peculiar figures held some significance, as ancient Homo naledi individuals dedicated considerable time and effort, risking their lives, to carve these mysterious shapes.
Just a few decades ago, we believed that only intelligent species like Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, or Denisovans had the cognitive ability to bury the deceased. The recent discovery reveals that about 100,000 years before our invention of burial practices, an ancient human-like species knew how to bring the remains to their final resting place.
According to Agustín Fuentes, another explorer working for National Geographic and the author of another related study on Homo naledi, this discovery indicates that we will have to reconsider the history of fire, the origin of concepts, and even the act of burying the deceased. The discovery raises more questions than answers, but in the face of unanswered questions, the act of exploration remains meaningful.
A fresh discovery will unfold in the documentary Unknown: Cave of Bones, scheduled to premiere on Netflix in mid-July. Concurrently, Professor Berger will release a book delving into Homo naledi and the impact of the ancient human-like species on human history.
