Mystery Atlas
Person

Lee Berger

Paleoanthropologist who led the 2013 Rising Star cave excavation that discovered Homo naledi and, in 2023, the team proposing it deliberately buried its dead and carved cave engravings, a claim eLife reviewers judged inadequately supported.

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Theories & Explanations

  • Homo Naledi Burial and Rock-Art Claim

    Lee Berger authored Homo Naledi Burial and Rock-Art Claim — Announced in 2023 via bioRxiv preprints, then submitted to eLife's reviewed-preprint process.

Creatures & Figures

  • Homo naledi

    Lee Berger discovered Homo naledi — Led the 2013 Rising Star cave excavation that first identified the species.

Explored on these pages

Did Homo Naledi Really Bury Its Dead and Carve Cave Art?

In 2023, researchers claimed a small-brained human relative buried its dead and carved cave art. Other palaeoanthropologists say the evidence falls short.