Credit: Jessica Thompson Modern-day Malawi outlined on a map of Africa, and Mount Hora. Credit: Jessica ThompsonHer funeral, if she was female, was a communal effort, the team surmises. Credit: Flora SchiltBefore this, the oldest known deliberate cremation in Africa was 3,300 years ago, by Elmenteitan pastoralists in Kenya, in subterranean settings. Fire in the Jordan ValleyWhile hers is the earliest known cremation in Africa so far, likely we don't know a lot. Furthermore: The Malawi cremation was done by open pyre, while the one in Israel was done inside a plaster-lined pit that could retain heat.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 05, 2026 21:11 UTC