Earliest known human burial in Africa

María Martinón-Torres (), Francesco d’Errico, Elena Santos, Ana Álvaro Gallo, Noel Amano, William Archer, Simon J. Armitage, Juan Luis Arsuaga, José María Bermúdez de Castro, James Blinkhorn, Alison Crowther, Katerina Douka, Stéphan Dubernet, Patrick Faulkner, Pilar Fernández-Colón, Nikos Kourampas, Jorge González García, David Larreina, François-Xavier Bourdonnec, George MacLeod, Laura Martín-Francés, Diyendo Massilani, Julio Mercader, Jennifer M. Miller, Emmanuel Ndiema, Belén Notario, Africa Pitarch Martí, Mary E. Prendergast, Alain Queffelec, Solange Rigaud, Patrick Roberts, Mohammad Javad Shoaee, Ceri Shipton, Ian Simpson, Nicole Boivin () and Michael D. Petraglia ()
Additional contact information
María Martinón-Torres: CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution)
Francesco d’Errico: Université Bordeaux
Elena Santos: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Ana Álvaro Gallo: CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution)
Noel Amano: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
William Archer: National Museum
Simon J. Armitage: University of Bergen
Juan Luis Arsuaga: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
José María Bermúdez de Castro: CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution)
James Blinkhorn: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Alison Crowther: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Katerina Douka: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Stéphan Dubernet: UMR 5060 CNRS-Université Bordeaux Montaigne IRAMAT-CRP2A: Institut de recherche sur les Archéomatériaux – Centre de recherche en physique appliquée à l’archéologie, Maison de l’archéologie
Patrick Faulkner: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Pilar Fernández-Colón: CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution)
Nikos Kourampas: University of Edinburgh
Jorge González García: University of South Florida
David Larreina: CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution)
François-Xavier Bourdonnec: UMR 5060 CNRS-Université Bordeaux Montaigne IRAMAT-CRP2A: Institut de recherche sur les Archéomatériaux – Centre de recherche en physique appliquée à l’archéologie, Maison de l’archéologie
George MacLeod: University of Stirling
Laura Martín-Francés: CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution)
Diyendo Massilani: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Julio Mercader: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Jennifer M. Miller: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Emmanuel Ndiema: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Belén Notario: CENIEH (National Research Center on Human Evolution)
Africa Pitarch Martí: Université Bordeaux
Mary E. Prendergast: Rice University
Alain Queffelec: Université Bordeaux
Solange Rigaud: Université Bordeaux
Patrick Roberts: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Mohammad Javad Shoaee: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Ceri Shipton: University College London
Ian Simpson: University of Edinburgh
Nicole Boivin: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History
Michael D. Petraglia: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

Nature, 2021, vol. 593, issue 7857, 95-100

Abstract: Abstract The origin and evolution of hominin mortuary practices are topics of intense interest and debate1–3. Human burials dated to the Middle Stone Age (MSA) are exceedingly rare in Africa and unknown in East Africa1–6. Here we describe the partial skeleton of a roughly 2.5- to 3.0-year-old child dating to 78.3 ± 4.1 thousand years ago, which was recovered in the MSA layers of Panga ya Saidi (PYS), a cave site in the tropical upland coast of Kenya7,8. Recent excavations have revealed a pit feature containing a child in a flexed position. Geochemical, granulometric and micromorphological analyses of the burial pit content and encasing archaeological layers indicate that the pit was deliberately excavated. Taphonomical evidence, such as the strict articulation or good anatomical association of the skeletal elements and histological evidence of putrefaction, support the in-place decomposition of the fresh body. The presence of little or no displacement of the unstable joints during decomposition points to an interment in a filled space (grave earth), making the PYS finding the oldest known human burial in Africa. The morphological assessment of the partial skeleton is consistent with its assignment to Homo sapiens, although the preservation of some primitive features in the dentition supports increasing evidence for non-gradual assembly of modern traits during the emergence of our species. The PYS burial sheds light on how MSA populations interacted with the dead.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03457-8

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