The meaning of ancient burials | John Hawks | TEDxUWMadison

Key Concepts

• Mortuary Practices: Ritualized behaviors surrounding the treatment of the dead, ranging from burial to sky burial.
• Homo naledi: An extinct species of hominin discovered in South Africa, characterized by a small brain (450–600 cc) and evidence of intentional burial.
• Dinaledi Chamber: The primary site within the Rising Star cave system where over 1,200 Homo naledi fossil fragments were recovered.
• Articulated Remains: Skeletal remains found in their original anatomical position, indicating the body was intact when deposited.
• Forensic Archaeology: The application of archaeological techniques to interpret the circumstances of death and deposition.
• Hominin: A group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species, and all our immediate ancestors.

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1. Archaeological Sites and Early Human Burials

The speaker discusses several key sites in the Levant that provide evidence of early human and Neanderthal mortuary behavior:

• Qafzeh Cave (Israel): Excavated by René Neuville, Bernard Vandermeersch, and Ofer Bar-Yosef. It contained burials of Homo sapiens dating back approximately 100,000 years, including the notable "Qafzeh 9 and 10" burial (a young adult and child buried head-to-foot).
• Skhul Cave (Mount Carmel): Similar to Qafzeh, this site yielded burials of early modern humans from the same era.
• Kebara and Amud Caves: These sites contained Neanderthal remains. Notably, the Kebara burial was well-preserved, including the hyoid bone, though the skull was missing.
• Synthesis: The fact that both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals—who shared a common ancestor 700,000 years ago—engaged in similar mortuary practices suggests a deep-seated cultural behavior that transcends species.

2. Animal Mortuary Behavior

The speaker notes that humans are not unique in their reaction to death:

• Chimpanzees: Exhibit curiosity, alarm, and physical probing of the dead; mothers have been observed carrying deceased infants for weeks.
• Orcas: Mothers have been observed "nosing" dead calves to the surface for extended periods.
• Elephants: Known to attempt to lift the bodies of the dead and exhibit clear emotional distress, sometimes years after an individual’s death.

3. The Discovery of Homo naledi

In 2013, explorers Steven Tucker and Rick Hunter discovered a massive fossil deposit in the Rising Star cave system near Johannesburg.

• The Site: The Dinaledi Chamber is located 120 meters into the cave system, accessible only through a 7.5-inch wide vertical passage.
• The Findings: The team recovered over 1,200 fossil fragments representing at least 25 individuals.
• The Significance: Homo naledi lived approximately 250,000 years ago. Despite having a brain only one-third the size of a modern human's, the evidence—including articulated remains and sediment analysis—suggests they intentionally placed bodies in holes within the cave. This implies a level of cultural complexity, planning, and shared knowledge previously thought to be exclusive to larger-brained hominins.

4. The Power of Commemoration

The speaker reflects on the human impulse to mark the dead, connecting ancient practices to modern ones:

• Cosmic Connections: Many burial sites, such as the passage tomb at New Grange (Ireland) or the Egyptian pyramids, are oriented toward celestial events like the winter solstice.
• Symbolic Landscapes: From standing stones in the Altai Mountains to the catacombs of the Appian Way, humans use physical space to create a bridge between the living and the dead.
• Personal Connection: The speaker notes that even in modern cemeteries, the act of visiting a grave creates a tangible link to ancestors, regardless of whether the visitor knew them personally.

5. Notable Quotes

• "Something deep that made both of them [Neanderthals and modern humans] use these spaces in a similar way."
• "What other thing is archaeology be about but to connect the present and the past in that way?"

Conclusion

The study of the dead is fundamentally an act of connecting the present to the past. Whether examining the 100,000-year-old burials of early Homo sapiens or the 250,000-year-old remains of Homo naledi, archaeology reveals that the impulse to commemorate the dead and utilize specific spaces for ritual is a profound, ancient, and shared human-like trait. These sites serve as physical evidence of cultural traditions that, while silent, continue to resonate across thousands of generations.