100,000-Year-Old Burial Site Found in Israel's Cave
Above: Artifacts that were found at an excavation site by the Israel Antiquities Authority in Qiryat Gat, on Jan. 6, 2025. Image copyright: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
These findings are profoundly significant as the ancient burials represent a pivotal moment in human evolution — the birth of abstract thinking, ritual behavior, and our species' first grappling with mortality and meaning beyond physical existence.
Narrative B
While Tinshemet's discoveries are undeniably compelling, it's important to resist the allure of grand narratives. Archaeological interpretation remains perilously subjective. Until irrefutable evidence emerges, these tantalizing glimpses demand scholarly restraint.