Neanderthal & Homo sapiens Burial Practices: A Complex Intersection of Culture & Competition

Exploring Early Burial Rituals: Distinctions and Commonalities in Ancient Hominin Customs

The Origins of Burial Practices in Human Evolution

Around 120,000 years ago, both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals began practicing intentional burial in the Levant region, shaping a complex cultural narrative in human evolution. This early practice of burying the dead suggests that burial may have emerged from intertwined cultural needs shared between the two species, indicating a surprisingly developed level of ritual and perhaps a response to intensified competition.

The Archaeological Indicators of Intentional Burial

Determining intentional burial practices relies on distinguishing human-placed items from naturally occurring elements. For this study, researchers examined skeletal positioning, potential grave goods, and signs of deliberate excavation. Both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens interred individuals of all ages, with infants more commonly found in Neanderthal graves, suggesting possible differences in social structures or attitudes toward mortality in these early societies. Objects such as stones, animal remains, and horns were often included in both groups' burials, hinting at possible shared symbolic practices.

Contrasts in Burial Methods Between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens

Despite these similarities, distinct differences mark the burial practices of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Neanderthals generally buried their dead deeper within caves, while Homo sapiens preferred entrance areas of caves or rock shelters, often positioning bodies in a fetal posture, unlike Neanderthal burials, which showed a range of body placements. Neanderthals frequently used rocks as grave markers, while Homo sapiens introduced decorative elements like ochre and shells, possibly indicating early symbolic or aesthetic considerations absent from Neanderthal practices.

Three of the Homo sapiens burials that were analyzed, with a double burial (A), a burial with a boar mandible (B) in green, and a burial with a deer antler (C) in red. (Been et al., L'Anthropologie, 2024)

Dr. Michael Gurven, a researcher involved in the study, commented,

"While Neanderthals and Homo sapiens share many aspects of their material culture to the level that they cannot be distinguished, when it comes to burials, the picture is more complicated."

Implications of Burial Practices on Cultural and Competitive Dynamics

Both groups likely felt pressure to secure territories and resources in the Middle Paleolithic, with population density increasing in the Levant. This pressure might have encouraged practices that reinforced social bonds within groups, leading to shared burial customs. Yet, the differences reveal divergent approaches to mortality and possibly spiritual beliefs, highlighting unique facets of Neanderthal and early human societies.

After Neanderthals vanished around 50,000 years ago, intentional burial seems to have briefly ceased in the Levant. This gap suggests that burial practices may not have had an unbroken tradition across time and species. The region’s next known burials, reappearing during the Natufian period, were performed by early sedentary hunter-gatherers, pointing to burial as a practice that ebbed and flowed with changing societal needs and challenges.

H2: The Broader Implications of Early Burial Practices on Human Evolutionary Studies

This research underscores the complexity of human and Neanderthal cultural interactions and offers insights into the evolution of symbolic thought. Dr. Gurven emphasized the importance of studies on early burial practices, stating,

"The idea of a shared or competing culture between early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals enriches our understanding of both human resilience and adaptability."

These findings continue to shed light on the intertwined stories of our closest evolutionary relatives and the influence of ecological and cultural factors on early human society, laying the groundwork for deeper studies into the evolution of human beliefs, social systems, and symbolic expression.

This study, published in L'Anthropologie¹, highlights the need for broader archaeological explorations to fill in the gaps of early human history. With each new discovery, the richness of our ancestral heritage unfolds, inviting further reflection on the ancient societies that shaped the roots of human culture.

1. Been, E., & Barzilai, O. (2024). Neandertal burial practices in Western Asia: How different are they from those of the early Homo sapiens? L’ Anthropologie, 128(3), 103281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anthro.2024.103281