
One curious feature of the bones, however, might serve as an augur of the behavioral complexity to come—a whisper of symbol, of meaning. Several days after the discovery of the adult skulls, Berhane Asfaw uncovered another: that of a child, judged to be around six or seven years old. Cut marks on the skull (as well as on the less complete adult cranium) showed that it had been carefully defleshed while the bone was still fresh, in a way that suggested a ritual practice rather than simply cannibalism. The surface of the juvenile skull had been left intact, and it bore a telltale polish, an indication that it had been handled repeatedly. Perhaps the child’s skull was passed around and worshipped as a relic, possibly for generations, before someone laid it down here at Herto, one last time.Elsewhere in the country, east of Addis, is Harar, a mostly Muslim city that was once a hub for trade between East Africa and the Persian Gulf region. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site, with a bustling market and profusion of mosques, most of them small shrines built during the city’s heyday in the homes of successful merchants.We can expect an album for Willow pretty soon but in the meantime shes about to release her debut single Whip My Hair.
