The Lesedi Chamber

Even more astonishing than the recent age of the bones from the Dinaledi Chamber is the existence of a second chamber within Rising Star Cave that contains even more bones belonging to Homo naledi. Discovered, once again, by cavers Steven Tucker and Rick Hunter in the last days of the Rising Star Expedition in November 2013, this second site (Site U.W. 102) has been named the Lesedi Chamber (meaning “light” in Setswana). To date, excavations in this area have recovered two adults and an infant, all of which fall within the range of variation known for Homo naledi. This material is still being analysed but it serves to confirm the new species designation of Homo naledi and reinforces the hypothesis that this species was, for unknown reasons, regularly using Rising Star as a site to dispose of their dead.