Archaeologists have found the remains of primitive men dating back approximately 100,000 years carefully arranged in a pit in the Tinshemet cave in Israel.
According to scientists, the objects found near the remains may have been used in ceremonies honoring the dead and could shed light on how our ancient ancestors conceived of spirituality and life after death.
For archaeologists, this could be one of the oldest burial sites in the world.
Melanie Lidman , The Associated Press: "I'm here in the Tinshemet caves in central Israel. This archaeological site, which has been excavated for about a decade, is one of the oldest known burial sites in the world. It contains some of the best-preserved human fossils from the prehistoric era. Archaeologists believe it dates back 110,000 to 100,000 years and that it's one of the earliest times they know of humans beginning to bury their dead according to certain rituals, illustrating the beginning of the emergence of spiritual beliefs. This area is also known as a meeting place between early hominid groups, including Neanderthals and Homo sapiens . "
The skeletons were discovered in pits and carefully arranged in a fetal position, which is known as a burial position, said Yossi Zaidner, one of the directors of the Tinshemet excavations and a professor of archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Many were found with objects such as basalt pebbles, animal remains, or fragments of ochre, a reddish pigment made from iron-rich rocks.
These objects, some of which came from hundreds of kilometers away, had no known practical use in daily life, and experts therefore believe they were part of rituals intended to honor the dead.
This discovery by the Tinshemet researchers complements those published in March in the journal Nature.
In particular, the remains of the first five humans, dating from approximately 110,000 to 100,000 years ago, were found by archaeologists who have been working there since 2016.
The Tinshemet cave dates back to the Middle Paleolithic period, approximately 250,000 to 30,000 years ago.
The Paleolithic era , also known as the Stone Age due to the appearance of stone tools, lasted from 3.3 million years ago until about 10,000 years ago.
