The practice of burying the dead is an ancient human tradition that dates back tens of thousands of years. Archaeologists have uncovered ancient burial sites all over the world that provide clues about when and where humans first developed funerary rituals and began intentionally burying their dead. Determining the identity of the very first human to be buried is impossible, but by examining the archaeological evidence, we can identify some of the earliest known intentional burials and better understand the origins of this meaningful cultural practice.
What are the earliest known human burials?
The earliest undisputed human burials date back to around 100,000 years ago during the Middle Paleolithic period. Some of the earliest known burial sites from this time include:
- Qafzeh cave in Israel – Contains 15 buried skeletons from around 100,000 years ago.
- Skhul cave in Israel – Features 10 buried skeletons, also about 100,000 years old.
- Jebel Qafzeh in Israel – Two buried skeletons dating back 90,000-120,000 years.
- La Ferrassie in France – Seven Neanderthal skeletons buried between 70,000-100,000 years ago.
These Middle Paleolithic burial sites provide solid archaeological evidence that ancient humans were intentionally burying their dead with ritual and care well over 90,000 years ago. The skeletons are usually in formal burial positions, sometimes with stone tools and animal bones. However, there is some debate around whether even older burial sites from 300,000+ years ago show conclusive evidence of intentional burial.
Were there earlier possible burials?
There are some sites with human remains possibly dating back over 300,000 years that have been interpreted as burials, but the evidence is not definitive. These include:
- Atapuerca cave site in Spain – Bones dated to 300,000-400,000 years ago seemingly placed in a pit.
- Sima de los Huesos in Spain – Bones dating to around 430,000 years old found in pit with human remains.
- Gran Dolina site in Spain – Bones over 800,000 years old found in possible grave.
The problem with identifying these very ancient sites as intentional burials is that the placement of the remains could have occurred through natural processes or scavengers rather than purposeful burial. Unlike later sites where bodies are positioned in formal poses, these very old remains are often disarticulated bones piled together. More conclusive evidence is needed to confirm if they are the result of purposeful funerary rites.
Earliest Confirmed Burials
While there are older contested sites, the earliest conclusive evidence of intentional burial rituals comes from around 100,000 years ago in the Middle Paleolithic period:
Qafzeh and Skhul Caves, Israel – 100,000 years ago
Located in Mount Carmel, Israel, the Qafzeh and Skhul caves contain the remains of at least 25 early modern humans buried between 120,000-100,000 years ago. The skeletons, mostly of young adults and children, were carefully placed in pits dug into the cave floor and positioned in formal poses with grave goods. Qafzeh cave contained 15 burials and Skhul cave contained 10. These ritual burials reflect complex behaviors and possibly symbolic beliefs about life and death in these early humans.
La Ferrassie Cave, France – 70,000-100,000 years ago
Seven Neanderthal skeletons were discovered buried at the La Ferrassie site in France. They were interred between 70,000-100,000 years ago and were found placed in intentional poses within circular pits, often with tools and rocks. Analysis of the skeletons indicates they were intentionally buried shortly after death and had not been left exposed. Like the burials found in the Middle Eastern caves, these Neanderthal burials reveal sophisticated mortuary practices and cultural capacities.
Shanidar Cave, Iraq – 60,000 years ago
Excavations of this cave site in Iraqi Kurdistan between 1957-1961 unearthed nine well-preserved Neanderthal skeletons. The most famous remains are of an elderly Neanderthal nicknamed ‘Shanidar 4’ who was buried around 60,000 years ago. Pollen analysis of the soil indicates his grave was intentionally decorated with flowers, suggesting symbolic rituals were part of his burial.
Oldest Human Remains
While the oldest definitive burials date to around 100,000 years ago, human remains themselves stretch back much further. Here are some of the most ancient hominin fossils ever discovered:
| Fossil | Date | Location | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sahelanthropus tchadensis | Around 7 million years ago | Chad, Africa | Very early human ancestor |
| Orrorin tugenensis | Around 6 million years ago | Kenya | Early ape-like hominin |
| Ardipithecus ramidus | 4.4 million years ago | Ethiopia | Australopithecus ancestor |
| Australopithecus afarensis | 3.2 million years ago | Ethiopia | ‘Lucy’ species |
These ancient fossil discoveries from Africa push back the origins of the human family tree dramatically, even if we don’t have clear evidence of burial rituals until much more recently.
Why Did Humans Start Burying Their Dead?
For most of human prehistory, bodies were simply left on the landscape to decompose naturally. This changed profoundly when our ancestors began intentionally burying the dead sometime in the Middle Paleolithic. Why did this cultural shift occur? Some key reasons and theories:
Symbolic and Spiritual Beliefs
Burying the dead indicates abstract thinking about mortality. It reflects a symbolic understanding of death and the human desire to recognize lives and send off spirits. Burial rituals were likely part of a rich symbolic worldview attributing meaning to objects, places, and actions.
Hygiene and Practicality
Burying and containing bodies may have partly been a practical response to decomposing remains attracting scavengers and spreading disease. Burying the dead helped manage health risks.
Social Signaling
Formal burial sites anchored groups to a location and signaled social relationships to others. Marking graves declared ownership over territory. Group identity and status could also be communicated by grave goods and burial forms.
Overall, burial practices represent a major milestone in human evolution. Deliberately burying the dead with ritual and purpose almost certainly reflects deeper social dynamics and cultural capacities that profoundly shaped our species. It marked a shift from purely practical treatment of corpses to intentional practices full of meaning and spirituality.
Conclusion
Identifying the very first humans to be buried is likely impossible, as burial sites degrade and disappear over immense spans of time. However, based on current archaeological evidence, the earliest definitive human burials come from around 100,000 years ago during the Middle Paleolithic period at sites such as Qafzeh and Skhul Caves in Israel and La Ferrassie in France. Earlier possible burials lack conclusive evidence. The reasons for the emergence of ritual burial practices probably include symbolic views of death, pragmatic hygiene concerns, and social signaling. While we may never know the identities of the first people given formal burials, examining early gravesites provides a glimpse into the origins of human culture, beliefs, and behaviors that make us uniquely human.