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Is the stone found by the hand in the Hill Antechamber Feature an artefact placed with the body?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·Part of Were the Hill Antechamber and Dinaledi features bodies placed in dug pits and deliberately covered?·3 answers·0·0 following
Three answers, none aheadNone is ahead yet. See what would settle it.

Where it stands

Three answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Three are still possible.

Why it matters

A grave good would strengthen the burial reading; a natural stone would not. The authors compare its shape to a tool; critics suggest it may be a geofact⁠[1]⁠[2].

Answers 3

None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible
The stone is a shaped tool placed with the body.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible

History

  1. Martinón-Torres et al. puts forward: the stone is a natural clast that ended up near the hand.
  2. Berger et al. puts forward: the stone is a shaped tool placed with the body.
  3. Berger et al.: the stone lies against the articulated hand within the feature and has a tool-like outline.For: The stone is a shaped tool placed with the body.
  4. Hawks & Berger: no lithic analysis of the stone has been published; it is known from CT and video.For: The stone is a natural clast that ended up near the hand.
  5. Asked on this site
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