9,500-year-old pyre uncovered in Malawi offers rare insight into rituals of ancient African hunter-gatherer groups
A cremation pyre built about 9,500 years ago has been discovered in Africa, offering a fresh glimpse into the complexity of ancient hunter-gatherer communities.
Researchers say the pyre, discovered in a rock shelter at the foot of Mount Hora in northern Malawi, is thought to be the oldest in the world to contain adult remains, the oldest confirmed intentional cremation in Africa, and the first pyre to be associated with African hunter-gatherers.
In total 170 individual human bone fragments – apparently from an adult woman just under 1.5 metres (5ft) tall – were discovered in two clusters during excavations in 2017 and 2018, with layers of ash, charcoal and sediment.
However, the woman’s skull was missing, while cut marks suggest some bones were separated at the joints, and flesh was removed, before the body was burned.
