Majid Ali, M.D.

Dignity of the Dead in Early Prehistoric Africa

Ritualized Treatment of the Dead Two Million Years Ago

Besides introducing a new member of the prehuman family, the discovery suggests that some early hominins intentionally deposited bodies of their dead in a remote and largely inaccessible cave chamber, a behavior previously considered limited to modern humans. Some of the scientists referred to the practice as a ritualized treatment of their dead, but by “ritual” they said they meant a deliberate and repeated practice, not necessarily a kind of religious rite. Excerpts from The New York Times of September 11, 2015:

“… a large, dark chamber for the dead of a previously unidentified species of the early human lineage — Homo naledi. (found in South Africa).

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