75,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Died From Heart-Aimed Wooden Spear in Iraqi Kurdistan
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Nov 3
75,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Died From Heart-Aimed Wooden Spear in Iraqi Kurdistan
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Nov 3
Summary
A 15-millimeter hole in Shanidar A’s shoulder blade suggests a sharpened wooden spear entered the left chest, pierced a lung and major blood vessels, and caused a rapidly fatal wound.
University of Cambridge researchers say the rounded opening and beveled edges fit a wooden point rather than stone, with bone fragments indicating the weapon traveled downward and exited through the scapula.
The team cannot rule out a hunting accident, but says the wound’s position and force are more consistent with a deliberate heart shot, potentially the oldest known fatal interpersonal violence involving a wooden spear.
Other remains show the roughly 45-year-old Neanderthal had earlier survived a severe facial injury for at least a year, implying group care and support despite the violent death.
Found in Shanidar Cave’s tightly clustered burial area, the remains add to evidence that Neanderthals repeatedly returned to the same marked spot to place their dead.