Was Neanderthal life violent? This wound suggests lethal fighting was more common
Summary
Scientists found a 15mm hole in a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal shoulder blade in Iraqi Kurdistan. They believe the hole was caused by a sharpened wooden spear, possibly from a violent attack or hunting accident, showing early evidence of lethal violence among Neanderthals.Key Facts
- The hole was found in the left shoulder blade of a Neanderthal discovered in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan.
- The spear likely entered the chest and exited through the shoulder blade, damaging important organs.
- Neanderthals were a separate human species that lived in Europe and Asia and went extinct around 40,000 years ago.
- The site is called Shanidar cave, where remains of at least 10 Neanderthals have been found.
- This finding could be the earliest proof of wooden spears used in violence in the prehistoric Middle East.
- Experts are not sure if the injury was caused by an attack from another Neanderthal or a hunting accident.
- Similar injuries were found in older Neanderthal remains in the same cave from 50,000 years ago, suggesting possible violence.
- Other research showed that violent injuries among Neanderthals may go back as far as 430,000 years ago in Spain.
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