Africa's Oldest Human Burial (Essay Sample)

The discovery of the remains of a small child gave insights into the development of funerary practices experienced in the contemporary world. The grave has been termed as the oldest human burial discovered in Africa, dating to around 78,000 years old (Davis Para 5). The child's remains are estimated to have been three years old at the age of the death. The archeologists argue that the child was buried in a purposely dug hole. What is argued to have been the start of the burial practice is backed by the fact that the body was laid so that the legs were drawn up to the chest. Additionally, the head is thought to have been placed on a headrest. The period at which the burial occurred is the Middle Stone Age. This is when more complex aspects of modern human behavior first appeared.
Modern human behaviors have long been debated and researched through archeological research. Language and aspects of culture have been studied extensively, but an issue like treatment of the dead has not been extensively explored due to lack of evidence. The discovery of the above remains can be argued to have opened up a debate that archeologists can base their arguments on. The remains helped in concluding that the boy was buried because they were found in a cave. Additionally, the positioning of the head and legs translates to a practice that was done carefully by someone that knew what he or she was doing. The body was also wrapped tightly in some form of material. These findings indicate that people had started to engage in burial practices that involved digging holes and using some materials to wrap the body.