Deliberate body disposal by hominins in the Dinaledi Chamber, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa?

Val, Aurore

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.02.004

Cited by 41 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In contrast to all other hominin deposits in the CoH, the deposits that host H. naledi in Rising Star Cave are composed of largely unconsolidated, mud-clast breccia in a mud matrix with no evidence of coarse clastic sediment being carried in by water flow. This suggests a different depositional regime and timing for the sediments and the fossils (Dirks et al, 2015, Dirks et al, 2016a). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The age of Homo naledi and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa

Dirks

Roberts

Hilbert-Wolf

et al. 2017

eLife

247

147

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New ages for flowstone, sediments and fossil bones from the Dinaledi Chamber are presented. We combined optically stimulated luminescence dating of sediments with U-Th and palaeomagnetic analyses of flowstones to establish that all sediments containing Homo naledi fossils can be allocated to a single stratigraphic entity (sub-unit 3b), interpreted to be deposited between 236 ka and 414 ka. This result has been confirmed independently by dating three H. naledi teeth with combined U-series and electron spin resonance (US-ESR) dating. Two dating scenarios for the fossils were tested by varying the assumed levels of 222Rn loss in the encasing sediments: a maximum age scenario provides an average age for the two least altered fossil teeth of 253 +82/–70 ka, whilst a minimum age scenario yields an average age of 200 +70/–61 ka. We consider the maximum age scenario to more closely reflect conditions in the cave, and therefore, the true age of the fossils. By combining the US-ESR maximum age estimate obtained from the teeth, with the U-Th age for the oldest flowstone overlying Homo naledi fossils, we have constrained the depositional age of Homo naledi to a period between 236 ka and 335 ka. These age results demonstrate that a morphologically primitive hominin, Homo naledi, survived into the later parts of the Pleistocene in Africa, and indicate a much younger age for the Homo naledi fossils than have previously been hypothesized based on their morphology.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.24231.001

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The age of Homo naledi and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa

Dirks

Roberts

Hilbert-Wolf

et al. 2017

eLife

247

147

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The majority of bones in the fossil chamber lies scattered around in no obvious association with each other (Val 2016 This does not support the assumption that these are the remains of bodies deposited into the cave. One would expect articulated bodies if this were the case.…”

Section: Cave Formation and The Deposit Of Bonesmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…It is difficult to imagine how early Homo managed to navigate through a cave system with such tight squeezes while dragging bodies behind them (Val 2016). Even if they had fiery torches with them (of which there is no evidence), it would have been a very difficult feat to accomplish.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Naledi: An example of how natural phenomena can inspire metaphysical assumptions

Durand

2017

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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A new fossil site was discovered in the Rising Star Cave in 2013 in the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa. This site which has yielded 1550 hominin bones so far is considered to be one of the richest palaeoanthropological sites in the world. The deposition of the fossils in a remote part of the cave system, approximately 100 m from the entrance, has resulted in a great deal of speculation. The relative inaccessibility of the site and the number of fossil bones it contained and the fact that virtually all these bones were those of a single species of hominid led to the conclusion that the bones were not deposited because of natural sedimentary processes, but that these phenomena were evidence of purposeful disposal or even burial of the dead by hominins. If this assumption is true, it would be the earliest evidence of a metaphysical awareness in humankind. The tenuous evidence on which this hypothesis rests will be discussed and a more plausible alternative explanation where water and gravity were responsible for the deposition of the remains is forwarded.

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“…We therefore, provisionally, and knowing that this is still a matter of controversy in the scientific community (e.g. Val 2016), proceed under the assumption that H. naledi likely engaged in the practise of carrying dead members of the society on a difficult route to this part of the cave (Dirks et al 2016). …”

Section: Homo Naledimentioning

confidence: 99%

Homo faber or homo credente? What defines humans, and what could <i>Homo naledi</i> contribute to this debate?

Tonsing

2017

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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The transition from pre-human to human has, for a long time, been associated with tool use and construction. The implicit self-definition of humans in this is that of planned control over life world. This is reflected on in the work of Hanna Arendt on the homo faber and the novel by Max Frisch of that name. However, this definition has become problematic in a number of ways: Planned tool use has been seen to occur outside the human species, and the focus on control of the environment has become suspect because of the environmental crisis. The burial practices of Homo naledi indicate high-level self-awareness and social communication, with little tool use being evident. This article asks whether this might be an occasion to redefine our conception of what it means to be human away from the focus on mastery and control and towards including trust, also religious trust, as the true mark of humanity.

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Deliberate body disposal by hominins in the Dinaledi Chamber, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa?

Cited by 41 publications

References 26 publications

The age of Homo naledi and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa

The age of Homo naledi and associated sediments in the Rising Star Cave, South Africa

Naledi: An example of how natural phenomena can inspire metaphysical assumptions

Homo faber or homo credente? What defines humans, and what could <i>Homo naledi</i> contribute to this debate?

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