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rising star cave systemlatest news & developments
A prehistoric cemetery? Wits’ Professer Lee Berger had to lose 25kg in order to gain access to some narrow passages in the Rising Star cave system. Photo: Luca Sola/Getty Images
HOMININS

Did Homo naledi bury their dead?

Researchers’ findings suggest that they possessed advanced cognitive abilities, something usually associated with Homo sapiens

  • Edith Magak
5 min read
The discovery of a new species of human relative, Homo Naledia was unveiled at The Cradle of Human Kind at Maropeng in Johannesburg, South Africa. Naledi was discovered in a hard to reach chamber in the Rising Star Cave which has led scientists to believe that the Hominids had a understanding of the finality of death. Naledi stood about 1,5m high, had a unique mix of primitive and modern features with a tiny brain about the size of an orange, a slender body and unusually curved fingers. (Photo by Denzil Maregele/Foto24/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
CHAOS CHAMBER

Unearthing Leti, the child of darkness

The first partial skull of a Homo naledi child, which is believed to be 250 000 years old, has been found in the Cradle of Humankind near Johannesburg

  • Sheree Bega
6 min read