Did the Homo Naledi Bury Their Dead?

The Homo Naledi have been intriguing scientists since their discovery in 2013, challenging our understanding of early human life. In this episode, we explore the burning question: how did they end up in the incredibly difficult-to-reach Dinaledi chamber? From the possibility of using fire to lighting their way to the evidence of intentional burial, we are slowly uncovering the secrets Homo Naledi left behind. We delve into their potential cognitive abilities, including abstract thinking and symbolic thought, and what their burial rituals could mean about their understanding of mortality.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

Works Cited

Berger, Lee R., John Hawks, et al. “241,000 to 335,000 Years Old Rock Engravings Made by Homo Naledi in the Rising Star Cave System, South Africa.” bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, June 2023, https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.01.543133.
Berger, Lee R., Tebogo Makhubela, et al. “Evidence for Deliberate Burial of the Dead by Homo Naledi.” bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, June 2023, https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.01.543127.
Bower, Bruce. “Homo Naledi May Have Dug Cave Graves and Carved Marks Into Cave Walls.” Science News, 7 June 2023, www.sciencenews.org/article/homo-naledi-dug-cave-graves-carved-marks.
CBS Evening News. “Homo Naledi: Ancient Human Relative Discovered.” YouTube, 10 Sept. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eq_pTyEELE.
Cumberland, Karen. “New Evidence Suggests Intentional Burials and Use of Symbols by Other Hominins Hundreds of Thousands of Years Before Homo Sapiens.” National Geographic Society Newsroom, 7 June 2023, blog.nationalgeographic.org/2023/06/05/new-evidence-suggests-intentional-burials-and-use-of-symbols-by-other-hominins-hundreds-of-thousands-of-years-before-homo-sapiens.
Fuentes, Agustin, et al. “Burials and Engravings in a Small-brained Hominin, Homo Naledi, From the Late Pleistocene: Contexts and Evolutionary Implications.” bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, June 2023, https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.01.543135.
George, Alison. “Homo Naledi May Have Made Etchings on Cave Walls and Buried Its Dead.” New Scientist, 8 June 2023, www.newscientist.com/article/2376824-homo-naledi-may-have-made-etchings-on-cave-walls-and-buried-its-dead.
John S. Mead. “Lee Berger Announcement of Homo Naledi Burial and Cave Etchings.” YouTube, 6 June 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFbgQhY4Yxw.
Killgrove, Kristina. “Extinct Human Relative Buried Their Dead 100,000 Years Before Modern Humans Did, Study Claims.” livescience.com, 5 June 2023, www.livescience.com/archaeology/extinct-human-relative-buried-their-dead-100000-years-before-modern-humans-did-study-claims.
Romey, Kristin. “A Mysterious Human Species May Have Been the First to Bury Their Dead.” Science, 6 June 2023, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/earliest-human-burial-homo-naledi-berger.
Thomson, Jess. “Scientists Shed Light on Mysterious Habits of Small-Brained Extinct Humans.” Newsweek, 6 June 2023, www.newsweek.com/prehistoric-human-species-remains-homo-naledi-1804780.
Wong, Kate. “Mysterious New Human Species Emerges From Heap of Fossils.” Scientific American, 10 Sept. 2015, www.scientificamerican.com/article/mysterious-new-human-species-emerges-from-heap-of-fossils.
—. “This Small-Brained Human Species May Have Buried Its Dead, Controlled Fire and Made Art.” Scientific American, 5 June 2023, www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-small-brained-human-species-may-have-buried-its-dead-controlled-fire-and-made-art.
CBS Mornings. “Evidence Found That Man Was Not the First Being to Master Fire.” YouTube, 2 Dec. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI-wacGl4EM.
“The Future of Exploration in the Greatest Age of Exploration.” Bradshaw Foundation, www.bradshawfoundation.com/rising_star_cave/the_future_of_exploration_in_the_greatest_age_of_exploration/index.php.
“—.” Livestream, livestream.com/carnegiescience/explorationage/videos/234027978.