A remarkable discovery in northern Malawi has revealed what scientists believe is the world’s oldest known cremation of an adult in Africa. The find, dating back approximately 9,500 years, offers rare insight into how early communities treated their dead and hints at the presence of complex rituals far earlier than previously thought.
The remains were uncovered at a rock shelter known as Hora 1, located at the base of Mount Hora. Archaeologists found burned bones belonging to a small adult, likely a woman under five feet tall.
The remains were buried beneath a granite overhang, encased in a dense layer of ash and charcoal. According to researchers, this type of cremation — carried out at the same place where the person was later buried — has never before been documented so early in African history.
Charcoal from the fire was dated to between 9,540 and 9,454 years ago, confirming the burial’s ancient origins. The discovery not only pushes back the timeline of cremation practices on the continent but also suggests that early hunter-gatherer societies engaged in elaborate funerary rituals.
Traces of ritual and community effort
Researchers say the cremation was more than a simple disposal of the body. It involved careful planning, collection of firewood, and a prolonged burn that reached temperatures over 500 degrees Celsius. Such intense heat would have required regular tending, indicating a communal effort to honor the dead.
Bone analysis revealed signs of cutting, suggesting the body may have been prepared for cremation through dismemberment or other forms of ritual handling. In some places, joints remained intact, which could mean the person was burned soon after death, possibly with the flesh still present or wrapped in some material. Notably, the skull and teeth were missing, possibly removed as part of a ceremonial practice.
The entire process appears to have taken place on an open-air funeral pyre, constructed with locally gathered wood and plant material. After the fire burned out, the bones and ash remained in place, creating a long-lasting memorial that later generations may have continued to visit or use.
A site of longstanding cultural significance
What sets this find apart is not just its age but also the continued use of the burial area. Evidence shows that fires were repeatedly lit at the site for hundreds of years afterward, suggesting the location held lasting cultural or spiritual meaning.
Cremation is rarely found in ancient African archaeological sites, particularly among mobile hunter-gatherer groups. This discovery challenges earlier assumptions that such communities had only simple burial customs. Instead, it points to a deeper connection with ceremony, remembrance, and social identity.
The research, published in the journal Science Advances and led by archaeologist Jessica I. Cerezo-Roman from the University of Oklahoma, adds to growing knowledge about early human societies in Africa and how they expressed grief, memory, and respect for the dead.