New Shanidar Neanderthal Sheds Light on Mortuary Rites and Traumatic Injury

The briefing

Researchers report a newly identified Neanderthal individual, “Shanidar A,” within a notable burial cluster at Shanidar Cave dated to around 75,000 years ago. The study adds evidence for complex, possibly meaningful mortuary behavior and documents unusual facial trauma and a perimortem penetrating injury consistent with a wooden spear.