Kenya ancient child's archaeological grave site tells of early man's emotional

Archaeologist Emmanuel Ndiema. Remains of a child buried around 78,000 years ago in Panga ya Saidi cave (inset). [Courtesy]

The discovery of the oldest known human burial site, a child's grave in a Kenyan cave, sheds new light on the emotional life of early Homo sapiens, the Head of Archaeology, National Museums of Kenya said on Wednesday.

Scientists announced last week that they had found the site, dating to around 78,000 years ago, where a youngster they have nicknamed 'Mtoto' or 'child' in Swahili was buried in a cave called Panga ya Saidi near the Kenyan coast.