Meet Shanidar Z: Neanderthal Woman's Striking Facial Reconstruction Revealed in New Documentary

A fascinating discovery has recently come to light in Iraqi Kurdistan, where the remains of a 40-something Neanderthal woman were found in a cave 75,000 years ago. Known as Shanidar Z, the woman was laid to rest in a gully hollowed out to accommodate her body, with her left hand curled under her head and a rock possibly placed as a cushion behind her head.

Scientists have meticulously reconstructed her skull from 200 bone fragments over a period of nine months. This process has provided insights into the facial features of the Neanderthal woman. The striking recreation, featured in a new documentary “Secrets of the Neanderthals,” suggests that the differences in the skulls of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens might not have been as stark in real life as previously thought. Dr. Emma Pomeroy, who unearthed the skeleton, points out that the facial reconstruction is based on real data and the actual skull of the Neanderthal woman.

Neanderthal Lifestyle and Culture

Neanderthals, who lived across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia Mountains for approximately 300,000 years, coexisted with modern humans for about 30,000 years. DNA analysis has revealed that there were occasional encounters and interbreeding between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens during this period. The Shanidar cave in Iraqi Kurdistan, where the discovery was made, has been a site of multiple Neanderthal findings, indicating their repeated return to lay their dead to rest.

When the skeleton was first excavated, the sex of the Neanderthal woman was not immediately obvious due to the preservation of only the upper half of the body. However, a new technique involving the sequencing of proteins inside tooth enamel was employed to determine her sex, which has been revealed for the first time in the documentary. The estimated height of the specimen was around 5 feet (1.5 meters), and the analysis suggested that she was in her mid-40s at the time of her death.

The cave has been an area of interest for archaeologists, especially after the discovery in 1960 that led to the belief that Neanderthals may have buried their dead with flowers. However, subsequent research has cast doubt on this theory. Instead, it is suspected that the pollen discovered among the graves may have arrived via pollinating bees.

Empathy and Care in Neanderthal Society

While Neanderthals may not have honored their dead with bouquets of flowers, evidence suggests that the inhabitants of the cave were likely an empathetic species. For instance, one male Neanderthal buried there was deaf, had a paralyzed arm, and head trauma, yet he lived a long life, indicating that he must have been cared for by others. This suggests a level of empathy and care within Neanderthal society.

The reconstruction of Shanidar Z’s skull was described as a "high-stakes 3D jigsaw puzzle" due to its fragmented state. The fossilized bones were carefully extracted, reconstructed, and eventually formed the basis of a facial reconstruction created by paleoartists Adrie and Alfons Kennis. This reconstruction has provided valuable insights into the appearance of a Neanderthal from 75,000 years ago.