The cave system includes deadly steep drops and tiny passageways like Superman’s Crawl, a tunnel measuring 131 feet (40 meters) long and 9.8 inches (25 centimeters) across, requiring the researchers to belly crawl their way through, said Dr. Tebogo Makhubela, senior lecturer of geology at the University of Johannesburg. The team has mapped over 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) of the caves so far, which have a vertical depth of 328 feet (100 meters) and expand for more than 656 feet (200 meters) in length, said the studies’ lead geologist Dr. ![]() “That would mean not only are humans not unique in the development of symbolic practices, but may not have even invented such behaviors.”Įxploring the labyrinth-like Rising Star cave system and its chambers isn’t for the faint of heart. It seems an inevitable conclusion that in combination they indicate that this small-brained species of ancient human relatives was performing complex practices related to death,” said Berger, lead author on two of the studies and coauthor on the third, in a statement. “These recent findings suggest intentional burials, the use of symbols, and meaning-making activities by Homo naledi. Similar symbols found in other caves were carved by early Homo sapiens 80,000 years ago and Neanderthals 60,000 years ago and were thought to have been used as a way to record and share information. The symbols include deeply carved hashtag-like cross-hatchings and other geometric shapes. ![]() ![]() During the work to identify the cave burials, the scientists also found a number of symbols engraved on the cave walls, which are estimated to be between 241,000 and 335,000 years old, but they want to continue their testing for more precise dating.
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