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Oldest Human Burial Yet Discovered: 78,000 Year Old Grave Holds Child
A new study, appearing in Nature on May 5, reports the oldest known modern human burial in Africa. The 2.5 to 3 year old child was buried in a stooped position in a shallow grave directly under the protective rock overhang at the entrance to the cave. The burial in Panga ya Saidi joins the growing number of references to early complex social behavior Homo sapiens .
The Pangy ya Saidi cave on the coast of Kenya. The 78,000-year-old burial of a child was discovered in the pit in the foreground, secured by planks.
What the Oldest Human Burial in Africa Tells Us About Our Ancestors 06/05/2021
A virtual ideal reconstruction of Mtoto’s position in the burial pit. Image: Jorge González/Elena Santos
How did human uniqueness first evolve among our ancestors, setting us apart from other animals? That is a question many archaeologists are grappling with by investigating early records of art, language, food preparation, ornaments and symbols. How our ancestors treated and mourned the dead can also offer crucial clues, helping to reveal when we first developed the abstract thinking needed to fully grasp the concept of death.
Now we have discovered a 78,000-year-old human burial at a cave in the tropical coast of eastern Africa, which provides tantalising evidence about our ancestors’ treatment of the dead. Our new study, published in
Australian researchers help date ancient child’s burial to 78,000 years
By Melissa Coade
Thursday May 6, 2021
Maasai sitting by the ocean on the beach. (Image: Adobe/shangarey)
The earliest known deliberate burial of humans living in Africa has been found in a cave in Kenya, with the discovery of bone fragments of a small child.
The body of a small 2.5-3-year old child, known by researchers as ‘Mtoto’ (‘child’ in Swahili), was buried in the cave near the coast of Kenya, on its side and with legs drawn up to its chest.
The finding at Panga ya Saidi, reported in