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Life

Death: The evolution of funerals

When did our ancestors become aware of their own mortality? The answer may help us understand the origin of our unique way of life, says Graham Lawton

By Graham Lawton

17 October 2012

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

A 120,000-year-old Homo sapiens skeleton from Qafzeh, Israel found in a human-shaped hollow, is among the earliest evidence of deliberate burial

PASCAL GOETGHELUCK / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Read more:Death: A special report on the inevitable” and see our gallery “The life hereafter: Funeral technology old and new

PANSY died peacefully one winter’s afternoon, her daughter Rosie and her friends Blossom and Chippy by her side. As she lay dying her companions stroked and comforted her; after she stopped breathing they moved her limbs and examined her mouth to confirm she was dead. Chippy tried twice to revive her by beating on her chest. That…

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