9,500-year-old cremation pyre discovered in Malawi, oldest in Africa containing adult remains
A 9,500-year-old cremation pyre has been discovered in a rock shelter at Mount Hora in northern Malawi. This pyre is described as the oldest known to contain adult human remains and represents Africa's earliest confirmed cremation linked to hunter-gatherer groups.
Researchers found 170 bone fragments in two clusters belonging to an adult woman estimated to be under 1.5 meters tall. While the skull was missing, some bones showed signs of joint separation and flesh removal prior to burning. This has been interpreted as part of a funerary ritual rather than evidence of violence or cannibalism.
The pyre, roughly the size of a queen-sized mattress, would have required careful planning, skill, and coordination to build. The presence of two clusters of bones suggests the body was moved during the cremation process. Flint and rock-knapping artifacts found within the pyre may relate to ritual activities such as cutting flesh or placing tools into the fire.
The site context indicates the shelter served as a natural monument used for burials from about 16,000 to 8,000 years ago, with signs of daily life including multiple campfires. Before this discovery, the earliest confirmed cremations in Africa dated to about 3,500 years ago among pastoral Neolithic groups. Globally, the oldest previously known pyre with human remains was found in Alaska, dating to around 11,500 years ago for a child, which highlights the greater social complexity revealed in this early Malawi context.
