Scientists in Africa have unearthed what is believed to be the oldest known cremation pyre containing adult remains, dating back around 9,500 years. The discovery has provided a fascinating glimpse into the lives and rituals of ancient hunter-gatherer communities in northern Malawi.
In this groundbreaking find, researchers have identified 170 individual human bone fragments, all from an adult woman who stood approximately 5 feet tall. What's remarkable about this discovery is that it predates the oldest known pyre containing human remains by nearly 2,000 years, which was found in Alaska and dated back to around 11,500 years ago.
The cremation pyre, measuring roughly the size of a queen-sized mattress, suggests that building and maintaining such a ritualized death ceremony required considerable skill, knowledge, and coordination. The presence of cut marks on some bones implies that body parts were removed as part of a funeral ritual, possibly to be carried as tokens.
While it's unclear why this particular woman was given such special treatment, the researchers believe that her remains may have been deliberately removed and taken for curation or reburial elsewhere. The discovery highlights the complexity of social roles and hierarchies within ancient hunter-gatherer communities, which were previously stereotypically described as being relatively simple.
The presence of stone flakes and points within the pyre suggests that these items may have been added to the fire as part of a funeral ritual. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of the development of funerary practices in Africa, which are notoriously understudied compared to other parts of the world.
Ultimately, this remarkable discovery offers a poignant glimpse into the lives and rituals of ancient people, challenging previous assumptions about their social complexity and cultural achievements.
In this groundbreaking find, researchers have identified 170 individual human bone fragments, all from an adult woman who stood approximately 5 feet tall. What's remarkable about this discovery is that it predates the oldest known pyre containing human remains by nearly 2,000 years, which was found in Alaska and dated back to around 11,500 years ago.
The cremation pyre, measuring roughly the size of a queen-sized mattress, suggests that building and maintaining such a ritualized death ceremony required considerable skill, knowledge, and coordination. The presence of cut marks on some bones implies that body parts were removed as part of a funeral ritual, possibly to be carried as tokens.
While it's unclear why this particular woman was given such special treatment, the researchers believe that her remains may have been deliberately removed and taken for curation or reburial elsewhere. The discovery highlights the complexity of social roles and hierarchies within ancient hunter-gatherer communities, which were previously stereotypically described as being relatively simple.
The presence of stone flakes and points within the pyre suggests that these items may have been added to the fire as part of a funeral ritual. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of the development of funerary practices in Africa, which are notoriously understudied compared to other parts of the world.
Ultimately, this remarkable discovery offers a poignant glimpse into the lives and rituals of ancient people, challenging previous assumptions about their social complexity and cultural achievements.
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, surrounded by a square for the human remains 
. inside the square, we can add some bones with cut marks 
and maybe some stone flakes and points 
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what do you think about how this discovery is changing our understanding of ancient hunter-gatherer communities? 
. It's just wild to think that these ancient hunter-gatherer communities were actually pretty sophisticated when it came to funerals and stuff. Like, they knew how to put on a good show and make sure their dead loved ones were treated right 
. And can you imagine the stone flakes and points being like, "Hey, I'm gonna add some extra flair to this pyre, because why not?" 
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And 5 feet tall? That's not exactly tall for an adult woman back then, if you ask me. Was she trying to make a statement or something? 
9k yrs old cremation pyre in Malawi blows my mind 
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It's crazy to think that these ancient people had the skills and knowledge to create something so elaborate. And the fact that it predates another similar find in Alaska by 2k yrs is just wow 
. I always thought of ancient civilizations as being super primitive, but this just goes to show how advanced and complex they actually were.
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. It shows us that they were actually super complex and had some serious social hierarchy going on 
. Can't wait to learn more about this amazing discovery! 
. The weird thing is that these bones were put on a big fire, which was called a cremation pyre, and it shows how skilled the ancient people were at taking care of their dead. I wonder why one person got this special treatment though... maybe they were super important or something? 
I mean, 9,500 years is hella old! And the fact that it predates another one by 2k makes me think there was some serious ritual going on. Like, they must've had a queen or somethin' 
And I love how it's challengin' our assumptions about ancient societies bein' super simple. Like, no way! They must've had some pretty cool social hierarchies goin' on. 
. And the fact that this woman got special treatment all these years ago makes me wonder if there was more to her life than we think. Was she like a queen or something? 
i mean, we can barely do that with our fancy technology now! 
and it's also crazy to think about why she might have gotten such a big sendoff 
anywayz this discovery is literally mindblowing and i think its gonna change how we learn about ancient africa in school forever