75,000-year-old Neanderthal skeleton shows signs of targeted violence
A discovery in Iraqi Kurdistan provides possible evidence of early fatal interpersonal violence involving a wooden spear.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal skeleton in Shanidar Cave, Iraqi Kurdistan, according to a Times of India report. The remains, named Shanidar A, feature a 15 mm circular hole in the left shoulder blade.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests a sharpened wooden spear may have passed through the individual's chest. Researchers believe the weapon entered the front of the left chest, passed through a lung and major blood vessels, and pierced the shoulder blade from behind.
The shape of the hole is consistent with a wooden point rather than flint or stone tips, which typically leave flatter or more angular openings. The position of the injury suggests the weapon may have been directed towards the heart, causing a fatal wound.
Dr Emma Pomeroy, the lead author from the University of Cambridge's Department of Archaeology, noted that hunting large animals like mammoths could have caused similar injuries. It remains uncertain if the death was a targeted attack or a hunting accident.
The remains also showed evidence of a previous severe facial injury that damaged a front tooth. Dr Pomeroy stated that surviving such an injury would likely have required care from others, such as being provided with softer foods.