The difference in burial methods was surprising to the researchers; Because it was not expected that small and dispersed groups would have such stable patterns in the way of burying the dead over long periods of time and space. John Hawkes“The data are limited, but the samples are impressive,” says paleontologist at the University of Wisconsin. “The findings show that there were certain burial practices that distinguished Neanderthals and early humans.”
The burial rituals of both groups were formed for the first time in the Sham region
The study also shows that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens started burying the dead at about the same time, around 90,000 to 120,000 years ago. What is more interesting is that burial rituals were probably first formed in the Levant region of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Levant, which includes parts of Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and modern-day Syria, was the place of residence and communication between early wise humans and Neanderthals, and also, one of the main routes of human migration from Africa.
According to Bain, the most surprising thing is that the burial of corpses was done first in the Levant, and other burial rituals in Africa and Europe came later.
There is also evidence that Neanderthals and early humans in the Levant shared knowledge with each other. “If you just look at the artifacts found in Syria and there’s no bone available, you can’t tell if the area is Neanderthal or Wise Man,” Bean explains.
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But besides the exchange of knowledge, there may also be practical reasons behind the burial of corpses. According to Bain, “When many groups lived in the same area and competed with each other for resources, the burial of the dead could help them assert their claim to the caves.”
However, Hawkes believes that due to the spread of both groups around the world, the number of locations surveyed is not yet sufficient to draw definitive conclusions. He says: “The question is, have these rituals been transferred from a single source to others?” “Current data are insufficient to answer this question.”
Bain agrees with Hawkes, saying that more excavation should be done: “We need to do more digging. Maybe in the future, 3, 30 or 300 years from now, when new burial examples are found, our view will also change.”
The findings of the study have been published in the journal L’Anthropologie.
