Sunday 18 October 2026
Live
ZOTPAPER

News without the noise

ZOTPAPER
Science

75,000-year-old Neanderthal remains show earliest known spear murder, researchers say

Shanidar A skeleton from Iraqi Kurdistan bears fatal chest wound from sharpened wooden spear, with signs of respectful burial and prior care

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
A Neanderthal who died 75,000 years ago from a spear wound through the chest was carefully laid to rest by their kin in Shanidar Cave, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. The remains, unearthed in 2020, preserve a puncture in the shoulder blade consistent with a wooden spear that likely pierced the heart, making it possibly the earliest known lethal spear attack on a human relative.

Researchers examining the skeleton of an adult Neanderthal from Shanidar Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan have identified a fatal wound caused by a sharpened wooden spear. The individual, designated Shanidar A, sustained a puncture in the shoulder blade that the study authors say suggests the spear entered through the chest and exited the back, piercing the heart. The death is estimated to have occurred 75,000 years ago.

The same skeleton also shows a partially healed injury to the face, indicating that Shanidar A received care from their community while recovering from that earlier, non-facial trauma. The body was placed in a section of the cave that already contained other Neanderthal remains, leading the researchers to conclude it was an intentional burial ground used within living memory of the individuals.

“Shanidar A’s shoulder injury appears to have been fatal, but the apparent placement of the body in a location that subsequently became part of a tight cluster of Neanderthal individuals, who were likely intentionally deposited within living memory of each other, strongly suggests a level of care during and immediately after death,” the study authors said in the paper.

The findings add to evidence that Neanderthals engaged in complex social behaviours, including care for the injured and ritual treatment of the dead. The spear wound is among the oldest direct evidence of lethal interpersonal violence in the hominid fossil record.

§

Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The discovery pushes back the earliest known case of lethal spear violence among human relatives by tens of thousands of years, shedding light on the origins of interpersonal conflict.
  • The combination of fatal trauma and subsequent careful burial suggests Neanderthals had social structures that both produced violence and responded to it with ritual care.
  • It challenges simplistic views of Neanderthals as brutish, revealing a species capable of nursing the injured and honouring the dead even after a violent death.

Background

Shanidar Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan has been a rich source of Neanderthal fossils since the 1950s, including several individuals who showed signs of care and burial. The new specimen, Shanidar A, was discovered in 2020 during renewed excavations. The study, published in Scientific Reports, is led by Emma Pomeroy and colleagues. Previous finds at Shanidar have included a Neanderthal with a withered arm and other healed injuries, suggesting communal support for disabled members.

Key Perspectives

Researchers: The study team interprets the fatal spear wound as evidence of lethal interpersonal violence, possibly murder, and the burial as an act of care and memorialisation. Skeptics: Some archaeologists may question whether the wound could have been accidental or inflicted post-mortem, though the trajectory and force suggest a deliberate attack. The single puncture makes it hard to distinguish between conflict and hunting accident. Critics: The possibility that the wound came from a thrown or thrust spear remains speculative without direct evidence of the weapon. Nevertheless, the alignment with healed injuries and respectful burial strengthens the case for intentional killing and subsequent social response.

What to Watch

  • Further analysis of the puncture angle and wound morphology to determine whether the spear was thrown or used in close combat.
  • Genetic and isotopic studies of Shanidar A to learn about diet, kinship, and possible relation to other Neanderthals in the cave.
  • Continued excavations at Shanidar Cave may reveal more about the context of the burial cluster and whether violence was common among these Neanderthal groups.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

How we workSubscribe