In many of these burial sites, the bodies were discovered in crouched or squatting positions, sometimes showing cut marks or burn signs on their bones. At first glance, those burn marks might seem like evidence of violence or ritual cremation. Scientists believe these early societies smoke-dried their dead—an ancient preservation method still used today in places like Papua New Guinea. Indigenous communities in Australia and Papua New Guinea still use similar methods to preserve the bodies of their loved ones. The state of the bodies, the burn marks, and the absence of environmental factors that could explain natural preservation all suggest a purposeful funerary process.