So this study is understandably controversial, but it’s fascinating and, truth be told, I enjoy a little controversy. According to the study, Homo naledi may have buried their dead in caves and carved symbols into the cave walls roughly 300,000 years ago. That’s well over 100,000 years before the first evidence of Homo sapiens burying their dead. And it’s the oldest known burial in the world. If you’re unfamiliar with Homo naledi, they’re cousins who were in Africa 335,000–236,000 years ago, and this discovery is surprising due to the small size of their brains (a third the size of sapiens) — it was not thought that they would be capable of such complex behavior. But recent investigations at the Rising Star cave system near Johannesburg, South Africa found the remains of Homo naledi adults and children in the fetal position in shallow holes in the ground, which the researchers interpret as intentional burial sites. The researchers also found geometric patterns and cross-hatched lines carved into the corridor and entry into the chamber. However, it’s important to note that these engravings have not been dated. The study is not yet peer-reviewed and more evidence is required for this extraordinary claim. Critics say that the remains that have been found may have just accumulated in the cave shafts and fell into the chambers, and then water seepage in the cave could have moved the remains along sloping floors into natural depressions. But if the study’s claim is accurate, this would be yet another data point that says another one of our cousins was capable of much more than we give them credit for.