A multinational team of archaeologists has published a report on their study of the skeletal remains of a young child unearthed at a seaside cave site in Kenya, dating back as far as 78,000 years to the Mesolithic period. The unique placement of the skeleton reflects that the young child was consciously buried and is believed to be the oldest known burial of modern Homo sapiens in Africa.
The archaeological team was led by María Martinón-Torres, a scholar at Spain’s National Center for the Study of Human Evolution, and included members from nine countries. They unearthed the skeletal remains of the young child and some stone tools in 2013, 3 meters below the site of an ancient cave between 20 and 30 meters high, on the coast of Kilifi, Kenya. Using OSL dating, the team confirmed that the prehistoric child, whom they called “Mtoto” (child), was buried 78,000 years ago and had dental features indicating that he was Homo sapiens and was about 3 years old at the time of his death.
The skeleton was unearthed in a fetal-like lap, with the skull supported by a foreign object that could have been used as a pillow, and the hole in the ground where it was placed appears to have been intentionally excavated. According to Torres, Mtoto’s remains were wrapped in a natural shroud made of animal skin or leaves and buried in soil, suggesting a conscious and complex burial. The study was published last Thursday (6) in the scientific journal Nature.
The ancient cave where the skeletal remains were unearthed is located in Kilifi.
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