Shanidar

▪ anthropological and archaeological site, Iraq

 site of paleoanthropological excavations in the Zagros Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. Two clusters of human fossils discovered at the Shanidar cave between 1953 and 1960 provide information on the geographic range of Neanderthals and on their relationship to earlier archaic humans.

      The more-recent remains are those of three older adult males (Shanidar 1, 3, and 5). This group exhibits most of the characteristics of the European Neanderthals in having stocky bodies, projecting midfaces, and details of the ear region that closely resemble those of their European relatives. These similarities serve to extend the geographic range of the Neanderthals across Europe and into southwestern Asia. Earlier remains consist of one younger and one older male (Shanidar 2 and 4), two adult females (Shanidar 6 and 8), and two infants (Shanidar 7 and 9). Most of these individuals were intentionally buried between rocks in the cave deposits. Shanidar 4, 6, 8, and 9 were found in the same location on top of each other. Shanidar 2, 3, and 5 appear to have been killed by rockfalls. Shanidar 2 and 4 are generally similar to the later Shanidar Neanderthals, but they exhibit faces that are more archaic and strongly built, thereby documenting the emergence of the Neanderthals from earlier forms of humans in the Middle East. All of them have the typically massive bodies of archaic humans.

      The Shanidar skeletons are notable for an exceptional degree of wear and tear, especially on the four older (40- to 50-year-old) individuals (Shanidar 1, 3, 4, and 5). They had worn away all the crowns of their front teeth such that their front roots were serving as chewing surfaces. Similarly advanced wear of the front teeth is seen in older European Neanderthal specimens. Relatively pronounced front-tooth wear is seen in Shanidar 2 and 6 as well as in other younger adult Neanderthals. In addition, all four of the older Shanidar males exhibit healed traumatic injuries. Shanidar 1, having sustained localized injuries to the forehead, face, and right arm, leg, and foot, apparently survived for years without the use of one arm and blind in one eye. These fossils therefore reinforce the image of the Neanderthals as having led a difficult, dangerous, and stressful existence yet having had the social networks to ensure the survival of the injured and infirm.

Erik Trinkaus

 

* * *