Researchers in Malawi have unearthed what is believed to be the world's oldest cremation pyre containing adult remains, dating back approximately 9,500 years. The discovery was made at Mount Hora in northern Malawi, and it has provided new insights into the lives of ancient hunter-gatherer communities.
The pyre, built around 9,500 years ago, is thought to be the oldest confirmed intentional cremation in Africa and the first pyre associated with African hunter-gatherers. It contains 170 individual human bone fragments, mostly from an adult woman who was approximately 5 feet tall. The remains were discovered in two clusters during excavations in 2017 and 2018.
The bones found at the site suggest that some parts of the body may have been removed as part of a funerary ritual. Researchers believe that these parts might have been taken as tokens or carried to be reburied elsewhere. The fact that the woman's skull was missing, but her limbs were present, supports this theory.
While it is unclear why the woman received such special treatment, researchers note that this discovery sheds light on the complexity of ancient hunter-gatherer societies. Dr. Jessica Cerezo-Román, a leading researcher on the project, stated that while practices like these may not be relatable to modern society, they demonstrate the diversity and sophistication of human cultures throughout history.
The discovery also highlights the importance of understanding the lives and customs of ancient communities. As one expert noted, "they had advanced belief systems and a high level of social complexity at this early date." The researchers' findings have sparked new discussions about the evolution of human societies and the ways in which people cope with death and loss across cultures.
The site also offers evidence of daily life, as multiple campfires were discovered nearby. These findings suggest that the rock shelter was used for both funerary rituals and everyday activities. The discovery has added a new chapter to our understanding of African hunter-gatherers' practices and social dynamics during the late Pleistocene era.
Researchers are eager to learn more about this ancient culture, as it challenges prevailing assumptions about the lives of tropical hunter-gatherers. As one researcher stated, "it suggests that in life, they also would have had a lot more complexity to their social roles than I ever imagined."
The pyre, built around 9,500 years ago, is thought to be the oldest confirmed intentional cremation in Africa and the first pyre associated with African hunter-gatherers. It contains 170 individual human bone fragments, mostly from an adult woman who was approximately 5 feet tall. The remains were discovered in two clusters during excavations in 2017 and 2018.
The bones found at the site suggest that some parts of the body may have been removed as part of a funerary ritual. Researchers believe that these parts might have been taken as tokens or carried to be reburied elsewhere. The fact that the woman's skull was missing, but her limbs were present, supports this theory.
While it is unclear why the woman received such special treatment, researchers note that this discovery sheds light on the complexity of ancient hunter-gatherer societies. Dr. Jessica Cerezo-Román, a leading researcher on the project, stated that while practices like these may not be relatable to modern society, they demonstrate the diversity and sophistication of human cultures throughout history.
The discovery also highlights the importance of understanding the lives and customs of ancient communities. As one expert noted, "they had advanced belief systems and a high level of social complexity at this early date." The researchers' findings have sparked new discussions about the evolution of human societies and the ways in which people cope with death and loss across cultures.
The site also offers evidence of daily life, as multiple campfires were discovered nearby. These findings suggest that the rock shelter was used for both funerary rituals and everyday activities. The discovery has added a new chapter to our understanding of African hunter-gatherers' practices and social dynamics during the late Pleistocene era.
Researchers are eager to learn more about this ancient culture, as it challenges prevailing assumptions about the lives of tropical hunter-gatherers. As one researcher stated, "it suggests that in life, they also would have had a lot more complexity to their social roles than I ever imagined."
9,500 yrs old cremation pyre? thats like ancient history material right there!!! i mean the fact that its confirmed intentional cremation and not just some random fire is so cool 
. and that they found all these human bone fragments and a skull missing but limbs intact... its like a funerary ritual or something 
. i mean we thought hunter-gatherers were all about survival, but apparently they had complex social dynamics too 
. cant wait to learn more about this ancient culture! 
So like 9,500 years old is crazy old! I wonder what it was like living back then in Malawi, and how the whole cremation thing came about. Was it just for special people or did everyone do it? And why would they take parts of the body as tokens? 
It's pretty cool that we're learning more about ancient cultures and their practices, but also kinda mind-blowing to think that humans were way more complex than I thought. 
And what's up with the lack of skulls in this case? Was it really just a token thing or was there more to it? 
I'm definitely gonna have to read up on more about ancient Malawi culture now! 
. it's crazy how this discovery sheds light on the lives of these hunter-gatherer communities - they weren't just savages, they had complex social dynamics and even thought through death rituals 
. anyway, i'm loving how researchers are trying to learn more about this culture 
did u know that the oldest confirmed intentional cremation in Africa is found in Malawi? 
like, we're talking ancient hunter-gatherer communities here. And get this - the remains of a 5ft tall woman were found with most of her limbs but NO skull! 
researchers think she might've been special or something and that some body parts got removed as tokens or reburied elsewhere 
they had advanced belief systems and a high level of social complexity for their time.
like, they used this rock shelter for both funerary rituals AND everyday activities. mind blown, right? 
The fact that they had daily life going on nearby too, like campfires, shows us they weren't just focused on dead rituals all the time. It's weird how our understanding of ancient cultures is always changing...
and why would they remove parts of her body as part of some ritual? is it like a sacrifice or something? need more info before I can fully believe this 
! I'm loving this new chapter in our understanding of human history, and I'm all about learning more about how people coped with death back then. Can you imagine having to deal with the loss of someone while still living off the land?