德国马克斯•普朗克人类历史科学研究所Michael D. Petraglia和英国伦敦大学María Martinón-Torres小组合作取得一项新突破。他们的研究发现了非洲已知最早的人类墓葬。这一研究成果于2021年5月6日在线发表在国际学术期刊《自然》上。
研究人员发现了年龄在2.5到3.0岁儿童的部分骨骼，该儿童骨骼可能来源于78.3±4.1千年前，该骨骼是在肯尼亚热带高地沿海的一个洞穴遗址Panga ya Saidi（PYS）的中石器时代（MSA）层中发现。最近发掘的一个凹坑中有一个弯曲姿势的儿童。埋葬坑内容物和包裹考古层的地球化学、粒度分析和微观形态分析表明，该坑是人为挖掘的。文字、骨骼成分的解剖学关联以及腐烂组织学证据表明该骨骼来源于死亡个体的就地分解。
发掘过程中不稳定关节很少或没有位移，这表明该儿童埋葬在一个充满空间（坟墓）的嵌缝中，这使得PYS发现了非洲已知最古老的人类墓葬。尽管保留了一些原始特征，但部分骨骼的形态学评估与智人的行为一致，越来越多的证据表明，在人类进化期间，现代社会行为并非一步形成。PYS墓葬揭示了MSA人群如何祭祀死者。
据介绍，人葬礼的起源和演变是引起科学家极大兴趣和争论的问题。在非洲，追溯至MSA的人类墓葬是极为罕见的，而在东非地区至今仍未发现。
附：英文原文
Title: Earliest known human burial in Africa
Author: Mara Martinn-Torres, Francesco dErrico, Elena Santos, Ana lvaro Gallo, Noel Amano, William Archer, Simon J. Armitage, Juan Luis Arsuaga, Jos Mara Bermdez de Castro, James Blinkhorn, Alison Crowther, Katerina Douka, Stphan Dubernet, Patrick Faulkner, Pilar Fernndez-Coln, Nikos Kourampas, Jorge Gonzlez Garca, David Larreina, Franois-Xavier Le Bourdonnec, George MacLeod, Laura Martn-Francs, Diyendo Massilani, Julio Mercader, Jennifer M. Miller, Emmanuel Ndiema, Beln Notario, Africa Pitarch Mart, Mary E. Prendergast, Alain Queffelec, Solange Rigaud, Patrick Roberts, Mohammad Javad Shoaee, Ceri Shipton, Ian Simpson, Nicole Boivin, Michael D. Petraglia
Issue&Volume: 2021-05-05
Abstract: The origin and evolution of hominin mortuary practices are topics of intense interest and debate1,2,3. Human burials dated to the Middle Stone Age (MSA) are exceedingly rare in Africa and unknown in East Africa1,2,3,4,5,6. Here we describe the partial skeleton of a roughly 2.5- to 3.0-year-old child dating to 78.3 ± 4.1 thousand years ago, which was recovered in the MSA layers of Panga ya Saidi (PYS), a cave site in the tropical upland coast of Kenya7,8. Recent excavations have revealed a pit feature containing a child in a flexed position. Geochemical, granulometric and micromorphological analyses of the burial pit content and encasing archaeological layers indicate that the pit was deliberately excavated. Taphonomical evidence, such as the strict articulation or good anatomical association of the skeletal elements and histological evidence of putrefaction, support the in-place decomposition of the fresh body. The presence of little or no displacement of the unstable joints during decomposition points to an interment in a filled space (grave earth), making the PYS finding the oldest known human burial in Africa. The morphological assessment of the partial skeleton is consistent with its assignment to Homo sapiens, although the preservation of some primitive features in the dentition supports increasing evidence for non-gradual assembly of modern traits during the emergence of our species. The PYS burial sheds light on how MSA populations interacted with the dead.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03457-8
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03457-8
Nature：《自然》，创刊于1869年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：69.504
官方网址：http://www.nature.com/
投稿链接：http://www.nature.com/authors/submit_manuscript.html
本期文章：《自然》：Online/在线发表
