Debating the Burial Practices of Ancient Human Relatives
TL;DR
Researchers have discovered graves dug by Homo naledi, our ancient, small-brained relatives, more than 100,000 years before the oldest known human burials, a claim that would revise the story of our evolution. The findings, announced at the Richard Leakey Memorial Conference at Stony Brook University in New York and in three papers posted online, triggered fierce debate among experts not involved in the work. The dispute reflects how much is at stake for our understanding of ancient history and for the reporting of other potentially important discoveries.
- Ancient species Homo naledi may have buried its dead, sparking debate The Washington Post
- Mysterious species buried their dead and carved symbols 100,000 years before humans CNN
- Scientists say world’s oldest-known burial site found in S Africa Al Jazeera English
- Ancient Human Relatives Buried Their Dead in Caves, New Theory Claims The New York Times
- New Homo Naledi Cave Discoveries Upend What We Know About Being Human The Wall Street Journal
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on The Washington Post