A Burial Mystery: 100,000-year-old bones found in Israeli cave reveal story of early human funeral rites

Volunteers work in Tinshemet Cave, where archaeologists are excavating one of the world's oldest known burial sites, dating back 100,000 years, near Shoam, Israel, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (Image: AP)

In the quiet hills of central Israel, a shadowy cave has begun to whisper stories from humanity’s deep past. It’s here, among fruit bats and stone mounds, that archaeologists have uncovered one of the oldest known burial sites.

Early burials suggest ritual and memory

At Tinshemet Cave, researchers found skeletons laid with care. These early humans, believed to be over 100,000 years old, were arranged in burial pits. Most were placed in the foetal position, a posture long linked with ritual. Around them lay basalt stones, animal bones, and ochre—red pigments without daily use, likely for ceremony.

The site also contained hundreds of ochre fragments, burnt to change colour. Such heating suggests intention, possibly to decorate bodies or items. The findings point towards early forms of spiritual or symbolic thinking.

Professor Yossi Zaidner from Hebrew University, who leads the excavation, called it an important step in understanding human behaviour. “We’re seeing people do more than survive,” he said. “They are remembering, honouring, and connecting with something deeper.”

A climate that kept the past intact

Tinshemet’s cool, limestone-rich environment helped preserve both bone and artefacts. Ash from ancient fires, mixed with the soil, shielded remains for centuries. One skeleton was so well kept that its hands were still clasped.

Excavations have been ongoing since 2016 and will take years to complete. Students work slowly each summer, using fine drills and chisels. At the cave’s mouth, a human skull is still emerging from the rock.

Some skeletons were nearly complete, while others were fragments. All are now being studied to understand who these people were. Researchers still debate whether they were Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, or a blend.

A meeting point of ancient peoples

Israel once acted as a crossroads between Europe and Africa. Groups from both regions likely passed through, lived here, and may have interbred. This mixing could explain the cultural richness found at sites like Tinshemet.

Other sites from the same period, like Skhul and Qafzeh Caves in northern Israel, offer similar hints. But those digs were done long ago, with fewer tools and less accuracy. Now, Tinshemet helps confirm these early burial patterns were real and repeated.

Some researchers believe burial practices began even earlier in Africa. But not all agree, due to limited evidence from those older sites.

Professor Israel Hershkovitz, another lead at Tinshemet, believes these burials also marked territory. “Where you bury your dead is where you belong,” he said. That sense of land and legacy, he added, still echoes in how people live today.

Tinshemet Cave, once just a dark crack in a hillside, now shines light on how our ancestors lived, died, and remembered.

(Inputs From Ap)