The skull was found in Iraq’s Shanidar cave in 2018, according to the authors of the reconstruction. Thereupon, the remains of an extinct human species, divided into hundreds of small pieces, were named Shanidar Z. The woman who lived 75,000 years ago was over 40 years old. The skull is believed to have been crushed shortly after death, possibly by a rockfall, and then compressed by sedimentary rocks tens of thousands of years old.

Reconstruction

To make all this possible, the researchers had to assemble the skull from very soft pieces, “with a consistency similar to cookies dipped in tea.” It was then scanned and 3D printed to create an exact replica of the skull. This allowed Dutch paleoartists Adri and Alphonse Kennis to complete the reconstruction by superimposing layers of artificial muscle and skin.

Neanderthal and human skulls look very different. They have large brow ridges, but do not have a prominent chin with a protruding middle part. They also had much larger noses than our modern species. But the reconstructed face shows that in life these differences are not so striking.

But the reproduced face testifies to the fact that in life these differences are not so striking.
– says paleoanthropologist Emma Pomroy from the University of Cambridge.

Shanidar Z reconstructed from the remains of his skull / Photo BBC Studios/Jamie Symonds

Neanderthals were the closest relatives of modern humans. They lived in Eurasia from about 400,000 years ago until they became extinct about 40,000 years ago. However, during this period, perhaps as early as 250,000 years ago, Neanderthals intersected with Homo sapiens, who ventured from Africa into Eurasia. The genetic legacy of these hybridizations still exists; Today, nearly everyone still has Neanderthal DNA.

Shanidar cave and flower cemetery

Shanidar Cave became famous thanks to archaeological finds made in the 1950s with the discovery of several Neanderthals who appeared to have been buried here repeatedly and deliberately. These findings suggest that the cave was the burial place of these archaic people.

Entrance to Shanidar Cave, Zagros Mountains, Iraq / Photo: Graham Barker

Most interestingly, copious amounts of pollen were found near some of the remains, leading to the theory that Neanderthals had already practiced burial rituals that involved placing flowers next to, under, or on top of the dead. Later, this hypothesis was refuted: it turned out that pollen was applied much later by bees digging nests. We described this research in detail in one of the materials last year.

The remains of at least 10 Neanderthals were unearthed in the cave today. However, archaeologists believe the fifth, Shanidar Z, is potentially the best preserved. The remains, which included the part of the skeleton almost up to the waist, were carefully recovered from a depth of 7.5 meters and removed for analysis.

Shattered and flattened parts of Shanidar Z’s skull / Photo BBC Studios/Jamie Symonds

Archaeologists were unable to find her pelvis and determined her gender by examining protein in her tooth enamel. These analyzes also shed light on its age, as evidenced by signs of progressive, age-related wear and tear. The team believes the woman was approximately 1.5 meters tall.