Abstract
We describe the physical context of the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star cave,
South Africa, which contains the fossils of Homo naledi. Approximately 1550 specimens of
hominin remains have been recovered from at least 15 individuals, representing a small portion
of the total fossil content. Macro-vertebrate fossils are exclusively H. naledi, and occur within
clay-rich sediments derived from in situ weathering, and exogenous clay and silt, which entered
the chamber through fractures that prevented passage of coarser-grained material. The chamber
was always in the dark zone, and not accessible to non-hominins. Bone taphonomy indicates that
hominin individuals reached the chamber complete, with disarticulation occurring during/after
deposition. Hominins accumulated over time as older laminated mudstone units and sediment
along the cave floor were eroded. Preliminary evidence is consistent with deliberate body
disposal in a single location, by a hominin species other than Homo sapiens, at an as-yet
unknown date.