Shanidar Z​
Finding Shanidar Z
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While clearing the backfill from Ralph Solecki's 'deep sounding' in 2016, we found hand bones from modern human or close human relative. After careful examination of the trench wall (section), which had been cleaned back to where it was in Ralph Solecki's time, the source of the bones was identified: a concentration including a ribcage and more hand bones at about 7.5m from the modern cave surface.
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However, because of the approximately 2 metres of sediment and large rocks overlying the remains, it was only in 2018 that work to excavate the remains from above could begin. This revealed an intact, skull that had been crushed flat but bore the characteristic thickened brow ridge of a Neanderthal. Beneath the skull were bones of the left hand and the top of the ribcage. The ribcage and spine were excavated in 2019.
OSL sample hole
Ribs
Line of possible cut
Right hand
Stone
Culturally rich layer
Partly beccia-filled void
Image of the section (trench wall) showing the location of the remains of Shanidar Z when first discovered. Scale: 30 cm. Photo: Graeme Barker.
Above: The skull of Shanidar Z during excavation, viewed from above. Below this were the shoulders and left arm (below left) and then the ribcage (below right). North is to the left of the images. Photos: Graeme Barker
The challenge of recovering the remains
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The bones were extremely fragile and the surrounding soil relatively soft, so removing the bones safely was very challenging. They were stabilised in the ground using consolidant (essentially a glue that soaks into the bone) and then lifted in small sections.
Carefully recorded samples were taken from around the bones to be analysed for pollen, soil chemistry, environmental DNA. A sample for soil micromorphology analysis was also taken. The remains are currently on loan to the Shanidar Cave Project team for conservation, preservation and further study before their return to Iraqi Kurdistan.
Watch Dr Emma Pomeroy talking about the new Neanderthal Discoveries at Shanidar Cave for the Garrod Seminar Series, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge in November 2020
Where was the rest of the body?
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The entire upper body of an adult Neanderthal apart from the right arm bones was recovered, all in anatomical position ('articulated'). But where was the lower half of the body?
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Shanidar Z, as the remains have come to be known, lay directly adjacent to where Ralph Solecki's team had removed the Shanidar 4 'flower burial' in 1960 in a block of sediment. In doing so, they must have removed the lower half of Shanidar Z's body as well. This means that Shanidar Z was part of the cluster of Neanderthals found with Shanidar 4, including 2 females (Shanidar 6 and 8) and a baby (Shanidar 9). This means that in studying Shanidar Z's remains we have an exciting and rare opportunity to learn about not only Shanidar Z 's life and death, but potentially to understand more about the unparalleled cluster of individuals formed by Shanidar 4, 6, 8 and 9.
Left: Image of the Shanidar 4 skeleton in situ (centre), with Ralph Solecki (bottom left), T Dale Stewart (top left) and Jaques Bordaz (top right). Photo courtesy of Ralph Solecki.. Right: Section (trench wall) where the remains of Shanidar Z were found. Photo: Graeme Barker. In both images, the distinctive stone (1) and natural shaft (2) are labelled, helping to identify this as the same location.
Was Shanidar Z intentionally buried?​
A major debate about Neanderthal behaviour is whether they treated their dead in a symbolic way. Such treatment might include intentional burial. The completeness and articulation or Shanidar Z's skeleton suggest it was covered quickly after death so scavengers could not disturb the remains.
Looking at an intact block of sediment removed from around the body under the microscope (below), we can see the sediments around the bones were darker than those underneath the body, suggesting the body was covered in a different sediment and so may have been buried.
Reconstruction of the position of Shanidar Z's body when they were buried. Image: Emma Pomeroy
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We can also see that although there was already a natural water channel below the body, this had been intentionally dug to deepen it, as the sediment beneath is compressed. There are also small fragments of preserved plant remains in some of the small voids in the sediment. Ongoing analyses aim to identify what plants they are from and how they may have got there.
Sediment micromorphology slide showing the structure of the layers containing and below Shanidar Z. The distinct colour of the sediment containing the Neanderthal bones compared to the sediment below is clear. Photo: Graeme Barker. Micromorphology image: Lucy Farr.
Phosphatic silt
Bedded cave sediments
Linear void containing mineralised plant tissue
Zone of compaction and reduced pore space
Ribs
​Abrupt stratigraphic contact (cut)
Learning about Shanidar Z and their life
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After the bones were removed in small blocks of sediment, the first step is to clean and stabilise the remains so we can study them in detail. To help with the cleaning, the small blocks containing the bones were micro-CT scanned at the Cambridge Biotomography Centre to help us know exactly what is in each block. Micro-CT (computed tomography uses X-rays and is similar to CT scans people can get at a hospital but gives a much greater level of detail.
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X-Ray source
Radio-opaque support
Turntable
Bone fragments in foil
One of the blocks of sediment and bones from Shanidar Z in the microCT scanner at the Cambridge Biotomography Centre, ready for scanning. Image: Emma Pomeroy
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Currently, Dr Lucía López-Polín, our specialist conservator, is working to clean and remove the bones from the remaining sediment, stabilise them using more consolidant, and reconstruct the parts of the skeleton – a big challenge given their age and how crushed they are after tens of thousands of years buried under metres of soil. This will shed new light on Shanidar Z’s life and health, and we are excited to find out more about who they were.
Left: MicroCT scan image (above) showing the bones contained in one of the blocks of sediment. Here, we can see two finger bones (phalanges) amongst the sediment, and the same cleaned and consolidated bones are shown in the image below. Image: Emma Pomeroy and Lucía López-Polín
How old was Shanidar Z when they died? Were they a man or a woman?​
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One of the first things we could tell about Shanidar Z is that they were an older adult when they died. Their teeth were heavily worn down from eating a relatively coarse diet and probably using their front teeth as an extra hand, as many Neanderthals did. By comparing the amount of tooth wear with that of other Neanderthals whose age has been estimated using other methods, we estimate that they were around 45-55 years old when they died.
Whether they were male or female remains a mystery. The bones of the hips (pelvis) are best for telling the sex of adult Neanderthals, as they are in modern humans, but we don't have Shanidar Z's pelvis. Features of the skull can also suggest which sex they were, but Shanidar Z's skull doesn't have clear male or female characteristics from what we can see so far.
Left
Right
3rd molar
2nd molar
1st molar
2nd premolar
1st premolar
Canine
1st molar (broken)
2nd molar (broken)
3D reconstruction from the microCT scan showing the teeth and part of the lower jaw of Shanidar Z. The teeth are very heavily worn down, indicating this individual lived for many decades. Image: Emma Pomeroy
Future work
Once the conservation and reconstruction work is finished, additional laboratory analyses will tell us even more about Shanidar Z’s life:
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- chemical analyses of strontium, carbon and nitrogen will tell us about where they grew up and what they ate
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- analysis of dental calculus (mineralised tooth plaque) by Dr Amanda Henry, Leiden University, and Dr Tina Warinner will reveal the foods they ate and aspects of their health, as well as the kinds of bacteria that lived in their mouth!
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- proteins in the tooth enamel, analysed by Dr Frido Welker at the University of Copenhagen, will allow us to tell whether they were male or female
- analyses of ancient DNA are underway and may offer a detailed view of their ancestry and other biological characteristics. So far, we only have DNA from Neanderthals who lived further north and east, so DNA from Shanidar Z could offer important new insights into our close evolutionary cousins.
Find out more about the Shanidar Cave Project
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Find out more about the Project's discoveries, including what the climate was like when Neanderthals and modern humans used the cave, and the kinds of evidence they left behind
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Meet the archaeologists, anthropologists and scientists bringing their expertise to help us understand life at Shanidar Cave tens of thousands of years ago
Publications, media and resources​
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Find our scientific and popular publications here, plus other resources about Shanidar Cave