Revealed: face of 75,000-year-old female Neanderthal from cave where species buried their dead

Scientists have discovered the remains of ten different Neanderthals in the cave, with Shanidar Z being the fifth to be found alongside other bodies that were buried at the same period and place. The location of the burial was located just behind a colossal vertical rock that was over two meters tall during that time. This rock is situated in the middle of the cave.

The stone fell from the roof a while before the corpses were buried. Experts suggest that it could have been used as a visual cue by Neanderthals to recognize a specific spot for frequent burials.

According to Professor Graeme Barker, who is in charge of the cave's excavations and serves as the head of Cambridge's McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Neanderthals have been consistently portrayed negatively since their initial discovery over a century and a half ago.

The findings indicate that the Shanidar Neanderthals possibly had similar thoughts about death and its consequences as humans, who are their closest relatives in terms of evolution.

Archaeologist Ralph Solecki stumbled upon the remaining four corpses in the cluster during the year of 1960. One of the corpses was enclosed by accumulations of ancient pollen. Solecki cooperated with Arlette Leroi-Gourhan, a specialist in pollen, to suggest that their discovery provided indications of funerary traditions, in which the being who had passed away was placed to rest on a bed composed of blossoms.

This excavation endeavor was one of the initial ones to propose that Neanderthals were much more advanced than what was anticipated by many, considering their sturdy physique and simian-looking eyebrows.

In 1960, Dr T. Dale Stewart and Jacques Bordaz, part of Ralph Solecki's crew, were stationed at Shanidar Cave. They were busy excavating the remains of Shanidar 4 (also known as the 'flower burial'). Ralph Solecki captured an image of both his team members, Dr T. Dale Stewart on the right and Jacques Bordaz on the left.

Ralph Solecki's team had some members who were assisting him at Shanidar Cave in 1960. They were Dr T. Dale Stewart on the right side and Jacques Bordaz on the left side. Their task was to excavate the remains of Shanidar 4, the person known for the "flower burial." This process was being documented by Ralph Solecki.

Many years after Solecki's excavation, a team from Cambridge went back to the site with the goal of finding more proof for his disputed theories. They also wanted to learn about the Neanderthals and modern humans who resided in the area and their way of life. During their search, they discovered Shanidar Z with the help of modern techniques.

Barker stated that Shanidar Cave was utilized by Neanderthals and later by humans, making it an excellent research area to approach one of the most significant mysteries of human evolution.

What's the reason behind Neanderthals going extinct when Homo sapiens began to occupy their territories, despite the fact that Neanderthals had thrived there for nearly 500,000 years?

A person called Professor Graeme Barker is in charge of the current Shanidar cave dig that is being led by the University of Cambridge. This information was discovered from a credit displayed on the Netflix platform.

The head of the latest explorations at Shanidar cave is Professor Graeme Barker, hailing from the esteemed University of Cambridge. This information comes courtesy of Netflix.

According to a recent research conducted by Professor Chris Hunt from Liverpool John Moores University, the pollen found in the cave was most likely deposited by bees that penetrated the cave's floor. Nonetheless, the findings from Shanidar Cave still provide evidence of a compassionate species. For instance, a male with a paralyzed arm, deafness, and head injury, which probably resulted in partial blindness, was discovered at the site. Despite his condition, he had managed to live a long life, indicating that he was well taken care of.

Research on the location indicates that Shanidar Z was buried in a channel created by flowing water, which had been later carved out manually to fit the body.

Her posture showed that she was resting against the wall, her left hand was tucked under her head, and she had a small rock supporting the back of her head, possibly intentionally placed there.

A picture has been created to show how the recent discovery of Neanderthal remains found in the Shanidar Cave may have been buried. The credit for this illustration goes to Emma Pomeroy.

An image depicting the potential burying stance of the fresh Neanderthal remains discovered in Shanidar Cave. Attributed to Emma Pomeroy.

Although Shanidar Z was laid to rest around the same time as the other bodies in the group, scientists are unable to determine their exact level of contemporaneousness. However, they have concluded that all the bodies were from approximately 75,000 years ago.

During the production of the upcoming documentary in 2022, the team stumbled upon the remains of another person within the same group of buried individuals. They came across parts of the left shoulder blade, some ribs, and a relatively intact right hand.

The current team has discovered more Neanderthal remains that were dated to 50,000 years ago in the sediments located several feet above. Earlier on, Solecki had found three Neanderthal specimens in the same area.

Additional investigations conducted after the discovery of Shanidar Z have identified small markings of burnt sustenance in the earth surrounding the older group of bodies. These scorched remnants, which consist of various types of indigenous seeds, nuts, and plants, imply that Neanderthals not only sorted and mashed food items but also heated them for consumption. Interestingly, they carried out this activity in the proximities of their deceased fellow beings.

Pomeroy stated that the remains of Shanidar Z were found in close proximity to Neanderthals who were alive and engaged in activities such as cooking over fire and having their meals. This indicates that for these prehistoric beings, the line between life and death was not as defined as it is in modern times.

It has been observed that Neanderthals have a tendency to return to a specific location in order to bury their deceased. This occurrence may take place over a long period of time, spanning from several decades to thousands of years. It remains to be seen whether this phenomenon is a mere coincidence or a deliberate act, and if there is a determining factor behind their consistent return.

According to Pomeroy, Shanidar Z was an elderly woman who would have possessed a vast amount of knowledge for her community. Even today, seventy-five thousand years later, we can still gain insight from her experiences.