1,00,000-yr-old burial site reveals early humans’ complex rituals

Archaeologists believe they have found one of the oldest burial sites in the world at a cave in Israel, where the well-preserved remains of early humans dating back some 1,00,000 years were carefully arranged in pits.

- ASSOCIATED PRESS

The findings at Tinshemet Cave in central Israel, published in an academic journal earlier this year, build on previous discoveries in northern Israel and add to a growing understanding of the origins of human burial.

Of particular interest to archaeologists are objects found beside the remains that may have been used during ceremonies to honour the dead and could shed light on how our ancient ancestors thought about spirituality and the afterlife.

“This is an amazing revolutionary innovation for our species,” said Yossi Zaidner, one of the directors of the Tinshemet excavation and a professor of archaeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “It’s actually the first time we are starting to use this behaviour.”