ABSTRACT
Burnt human remains were discovered while excavating a pit feature dating to 4.4–4.1 kya at Luani. Thermal alteration of the clay matrix and the distribution of body elements indicate that the body was burned in situ. The intensity and completeness of burning as well as associated artefacts reminiscent of funerary gifts suggest that this was a deliberate cremation. Anthropological analyses indicate that the individual was an adult suffering from chronic health stress at the time of death. The size of the remains suggest they belonged to an autochthonous Central African hunter-gatherer who lived in the region prior to the arrival of Bantu speakers. The Luani cremation is the first recorded in Central Africa, and an important addition to the very small corpus of Late Stone Age sites with human remains in Africa.
