Ancient Hunters' Complex Burial Rituals Revealed in Africa Pyre
A 9,500-year-old cremation pyre discovered in northern Malawi has provided a rare glimpse into the burial practices of ancient hunter-gatherer communities. The site, located in a rock shelter at the foot of Mount Hora, contains an astonishing 170 individual human bone fragments from a woman estimated to be around 5ft tall.
The remarkable find is believed to be the oldest intentional cremation in Africa and the first pyre associated with African hunter-gatherers. Researchers say that while some bones were deliberately removed from the body before cremation, suggesting a possible funerary ritual or token system, there is no evidence of violent acts or cannibalism.
The team behind the study suggests that the rock shelter was used as a natural monument for burials dating back around 16,000 years, with complete skeletons and small collections of bones from multiple individuals found. The discovery of flakes and points from stone-knapping within the pyre may indicate that people threw or placed these items into the fire as part of a funeral ritual.
The team's findings have shed new light on the social complexity of ancient hunter-gatherer societies, with one researcher noting that different individuals merited different treatment in death. The discovery also highlights the advanced belief systems and burial practices of these communities, which were likely transient but still demonstrated remarkable cultural sophistication.
While more research is needed to fully understand this enigmatic site, it promises to be a significant addition to our understanding of human history and the evolution of complex societies.
A 9,500-year-old cremation pyre discovered in northern Malawi has provided a rare glimpse into the burial practices of ancient hunter-gatherer communities. The site, located in a rock shelter at the foot of Mount Hora, contains an astonishing 170 individual human bone fragments from a woman estimated to be around 5ft tall.
The remarkable find is believed to be the oldest intentional cremation in Africa and the first pyre associated with African hunter-gatherers. Researchers say that while some bones were deliberately removed from the body before cremation, suggesting a possible funerary ritual or token system, there is no evidence of violent acts or cannibalism.
The team behind the study suggests that the rock shelter was used as a natural monument for burials dating back around 16,000 years, with complete skeletons and small collections of bones from multiple individuals found. The discovery of flakes and points from stone-knapping within the pyre may indicate that people threw or placed these items into the fire as part of a funeral ritual.
The team's findings have shed new light on the social complexity of ancient hunter-gatherer societies, with one researcher noting that different individuals merited different treatment in death. The discovery also highlights the advanced belief systems and burial practices of these communities, which were likely transient but still demonstrated remarkable cultural sophistication.
While more research is needed to fully understand this enigmatic site, it promises to be a significant addition to our understanding of human history and the evolution of complex societies.
... It's crazy to think about these ancient communities having rituals like this one. I mean, they must've had some pretty deep connections with nature and their dead. And the fact that there's no evidence of cannibalism or violent acts is actually kinda refreshing 
. You get a sense of how much they valued human life and dignity, even back then. The rock shelter was like a natural cemetery or something – it's wild to think about people bringing these bones back to be buried in this sacred place.
. it's also mind-blowing that they didn't have cannibalism or violent acts, just a bunch of complex beliefs about life and death 
. can u imagine having a rock shelter as a natural monument for burials? that's like our modern-day cemeteries but way older 
. i'm dying to know more about these societies and their cultures, this discovery is huge 
. I find it wild that they didn't just bury the body, but had a whole pyre with bones and stuff thrown into it as part of a ritual. It makes you wonder what kind of beliefs and practices these people had, especially since different individuals got treated differently when they died 
. Can't wait for more research to come out about this site! 
. But at the same time, it's wild to think that these people might've been all about respecting individuality in death, with different people getting different treatment 
And stone-knapping flakes being part of the pyre? Like, what else were they burning on 
. But still, 9,500 years ago and people are like "let's have a party... with bones!" 
The fact that they were crematin' their dead all these years ago already raises some suspicions for me 
And don't even get me started on the stone-knappin' flakes in the pyre... what were they doin' all those years ago? It's like they were tryin' to send us a secret signal 
I mean, I know some people are gonna say it's just ancient culture and we shouldn't be readin' too much into it 
but for me, this just looks like another piece of the puzzle that's tryin' to reveal somethin' bigger...
. What I'd really love to see is some more context about who these people were and how they lived their daily lives. That's what'll really give us insight into their culture, not just a bunch of bones and ashes.
and the fact that some bones were removed before cremation makes me think they had like a funerary ritual or something 
i'm so here for this discovery and i need more info ASAP 
! 9,500 years old is like, ancient history stuff. I wonder what kind of life these people had back then? Like, how did they live in harmony with nature? Were they super organized or just winging it? 
. And the idea that they might have been throwing little tokens into the fire for good luck? That's just wild 
. Can't wait to learn more about these ancient societies! 
the team is saying it's the oldest intentional cremation in africa and its crazy how much we dont know about our ancestors 
the fact that different people got treated differently in death is mind blown 
just found out about an ancient pyre in Malawi that's over 9,500 years old... that's like, even older than my grandpa's stories 
. Can't wait to see what other insights come from this research 
I mean, can you even believe what they found in Malawi?! A 9,500 year old pyre with like, 170 individual bone fragments from a woman who's estimated to be around 5ft tall... it's mind-blowing! 
And the fact that different people got treated differently in death, wow... our ancestors were way more complicated than we give them credit for. 
I wish we could learn more about these ancient communities and their belief systems, it's like, totally captivating! 