Inside Rising Star cave where Homo naledi buried its dead

A 3D virtual reality video of the interior of the Dinaledi chamber Hill antechamber at the base of the ladder where explorers enter the system. The tour continues through the passage linking the Hill burial chamber with the Dinaledi Burial Chamber, focusing on two burial features which contain the remains of at least one adult and one juvenile Homo naledi.

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[OnlyDaria]

1 question. Could the cave access have been altered over time by earthquake or other natural disasters? Why assume they scrambled in as shown ?

[RetNemmoc]

I love New Scientist, and I follow the publication on Instagram. However, there is a continuous barrage of spam on the platform that never gets taken down if readers don't block it. Please assign someone to deal with your spam problem.

[Barbara-pggm]

Since they were hunter gathers, I think they laid their dead out, then collected the bones. When they came back around to where the cave was, then they interred all the dead they had with them. It is hard to imagine them coming back to the cage after every death as the body decomposed.

[dbadagna]

Where in the video may the etchings be seen?

[Blablablarocket]

The case of this famous Rising Star cave... I saw in this report, and what struck me was the narrow mind of scientists, who see nothing other than what they want to believe despite having there eyes open, it's scary.

One thing seemed immediately clear to me, it was simply that the bodies found in these caves were not deposited there and buried, but that family was sheltered there (there is evidence of fire for light of cooking, objects, pots, tools...), whether she lived there or not we will not know, but that they were very probably trapped by heavy floods, rains, mudslides, collapse of the ceiling ...the shape of the cave bears witness to this, as well as the bodies found under layers of perfectly flat earth. Once all the water drained away, the mud covered the bodies evenly.
One of the bodies having an object in his hand for digging, probably tried something to get out but in vain, and not to take this object up beyond.

And nothing to do with going to bury bodies in such an inaccessible place... Stupid to think that.

[renaye]

Would it be possible that Homo sapiens or other homo species could have disposed of naledi in this cave? Are they responsible for the fire remains found?

[thefirstMorganLeFay]

My speculation is that one or more adventurous juveniles ended up at the bottom of the shute and concerned elders went looking for the wayward young and such were compromised by the inability to return to their base via the steep incline. Size is not mentioned relative to accessibility and habitabilty within this system. Discussion seems based upon current human size (send in small women) and not the likely size of hominids tens of thousands of years in the past. I also wonder about about breathing over time within this system of caves with fire and air exchange as problems. As a generalist not allegiant to a particular party line (if you will), unconvinced as to ceremonial priorities, I'm not sure. Contradictory understanding to my comment are welcomed.

[ETRoberts]

Burial chamber? Seems premature to call it that. They look like they were at most tossed in rather than buried.

[DavidsProcessWest]

I wouldn't overly romanticize an early human like creature not wanting to see a tribe member torn up by scavengers outside the cave, yet not wanting to smell the decay of a small human sized body so thereby placing the dead deep inside a confined space.

[hotpotates]

Dont hurry to believe this. This has all been rushed ..and they get alot wrong

[lafaina]

It's time for mainstream scientists and researchers to admit other aspects of reality, consciousness is an example.