When did we start burying our dead?
The act of burying the dead can be traced back to the Neanderthals but when did ritual human burials start?
Asked by: Richard Powell, Leatherhead
We can’t be sure, although the oldest known burial took place about 130,000 years ago. Burying the dead is perhaps the earliest form of religious practice and suggests people were concerned about what happens after death. There’s evidence that Neanderthals buried their dead along with tools and bones.
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