An initial report of circa 241,000- to 335,000-year-old rock engravings and their relation to Homo naledi in the Rising Star cave system, South Africa
The production of painted, etched, or engraved designs on cave walls or other surfaces is recognized as a major cognitive step in human evolution. Such intentional designs, which are widely interpreted as signifying, recording, and transmitting information in a durable manner, were once considered e...
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/89102 |
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| author | Lee R Berger John Hawks Agustín Fuentes Dirk Van Rooyen Mathabela Tsikoane Maropeng Mpete Samuel Nkwe Keneiloe Molopyane |
| author_facet | Lee R Berger John Hawks Agustín Fuentes Dirk Van Rooyen Mathabela Tsikoane Maropeng Mpete Samuel Nkwe Keneiloe Molopyane |
| author_sort | Lee R Berger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The production of painted, etched, or engraved designs on cave walls or other surfaces is recognized as a major cognitive step in human evolution. Such intentional designs, which are widely interpreted as signifying, recording, and transmitting information in a durable manner, were once considered exclusive to Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens. Here we present observations of what appear to be engraved abstract patterns and shapes within the Dinaledi Subsystem of the Rising Star cave system in South Africa, incised into the dolomitic limestone walls of the cave. The markings described here are found on a pillar in the Hill Antechamber that extends into the natural fissure corridor that links the two chambers, and we associate them with Homo naledi. They include deeply impressed lines, cross-hatchings, percussion marks, and other geometric shapes on flat wall surfaces and in and around existing cracks and grooves in the dolomitic limestone walls, found in one specific location of the Dinaledi Subsystem. Remains of multiple H. naledi are found in this part of the cave system, and evidence of mortuary behavior appears in both the Dinaledi Chamber and adjacent Hill Antechamber dated to between 241 and 335 ka (Dirks et al., 2017; Robbins et al., 2021; Berger et al., 2025). |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9b2f1ed551c64a0c9fb34847e714f7a5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-9b2f1ed551c64a0c9fb34847e714f7a52025-08-20T03:15:06ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2025-07-011210.7554/eLife.89102An initial report of circa 241,000- to 335,000-year-old rock engravings and their relation to Homo naledi in the Rising Star cave system, South AfricaLee R Berger0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0367-7629John Hawks1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3187-3755Agustín Fuentes2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0955-8214Dirk Van Rooyen3Mathabela Tsikoane4Maropeng Mpete5Samuel Nkwe6Keneiloe Molopyane7The National Geographic Society, Washington DC, United States; Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; The Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington DC, United StatesCentre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, United StatesCentre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Anthropology, Princeton University, Princeton, United StatesCentre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; The National Geographic Society Rising Star Project, Cradle of Humankind, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Johannesburg, South AfricaCentre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; The National Geographic Society Rising Star Project, Cradle of Humankind, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Johannesburg, South AfricaCentre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; The National Geographic Society Rising Star Project, Cradle of Humankind, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Johannesburg, South AfricaCentre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; The National Geographic Society Rising Star Project, Cradle of Humankind, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Johannesburg, South AfricaCentre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaThe production of painted, etched, or engraved designs on cave walls or other surfaces is recognized as a major cognitive step in human evolution. Such intentional designs, which are widely interpreted as signifying, recording, and transmitting information in a durable manner, were once considered exclusive to Late Pleistocene Homo sapiens. Here we present observations of what appear to be engraved abstract patterns and shapes within the Dinaledi Subsystem of the Rising Star cave system in South Africa, incised into the dolomitic limestone walls of the cave. The markings described here are found on a pillar in the Hill Antechamber that extends into the natural fissure corridor that links the two chambers, and we associate them with Homo naledi. They include deeply impressed lines, cross-hatchings, percussion marks, and other geometric shapes on flat wall surfaces and in and around existing cracks and grooves in the dolomitic limestone walls, found in one specific location of the Dinaledi Subsystem. Remains of multiple H. naledi are found in this part of the cave system, and evidence of mortuary behavior appears in both the Dinaledi Chamber and adjacent Hill Antechamber dated to between 241 and 335 ka (Dirks et al., 2017; Robbins et al., 2021; Berger et al., 2025).https://elifesciences.org/articles/89102Homo naledirock artcognitive evolution |
| spellingShingle | Lee R Berger John Hawks Agustín Fuentes Dirk Van Rooyen Mathabela Tsikoane Maropeng Mpete Samuel Nkwe Keneiloe Molopyane An initial report of circa 241,000- to 335,000-year-old rock engravings and their relation to Homo naledi in the Rising Star cave system, South Africa eLife Homo naledi rock art cognitive evolution |
| title | An initial report of circa 241,000- to 335,000-year-old rock engravings and their relation to Homo naledi in the Rising Star cave system, South Africa |
| title_full | An initial report of circa 241,000- to 335,000-year-old rock engravings and their relation to Homo naledi in the Rising Star cave system, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | An initial report of circa 241,000- to 335,000-year-old rock engravings and their relation to Homo naledi in the Rising Star cave system, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | An initial report of circa 241,000- to 335,000-year-old rock engravings and their relation to Homo naledi in the Rising Star cave system, South Africa |
| title_short | An initial report of circa 241,000- to 335,000-year-old rock engravings and their relation to Homo naledi in the Rising Star cave system, South Africa |
| title_sort | initial report of circa 241 000 to 335 000 year old rock engravings and their relation to homo naledi in the rising star cave system south africa |
| topic | Homo naledi rock art cognitive evolution |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/89102 |
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