A 75,000-year-old Neanderthal skeleton of a woman who died in her mid-forties has been discovered in the foothills of Iraq, according to researchers who pieced the skull back together.
Found at the Shanidar Cave site 500 miles north of Baghdad, the skull of the skeleton, named Shanidar Z, has been recreated as part of a new Netflix documentary called Secrets Of The Neanderthals.
The skull had been flattened to about 2cm thick when it was discovered by archaeologists from Cambridge University and Liverpool John Moores in 2018.
It had been crushed, possibly by rockfall soon after the death of the woman and then compacted further by tens of thousands of years of sediment.
More than 200 pieces of the skull were pieced together freehand.
Without pelvic bones, the team relied on sequencing tooth enamel proteins to determine the sex of the skeleton, believed to be a female who died in her mid-forties.
Teeth were also used to gauge her age through levels of wear and tear, with some front teeth worn to the root.
At about five feet tall, and with some of the smallest adult arm bones in the Neanderthal fossil record, her physique also implies a female.
Iraq archaeology – in pictures
The team used a glue-like consolidant to strengthen the bones and surrounding sediment. They then removed Shanidar Z in dozens of small foil-wrapped blocks from under seven-and-a-half metres of soil and rock in the cave.
In the Cambridge lab, researchers took micro-CAT scans of each block before gradually diluting the glue and using the scans to guide the extraction of bone fragments.
“Each skull fragment is gently cleaned while glue and consolidant are re-added to stabilise the bone, which can be very soft, similar in consistency to a biscuit dunked in tea,” Dr Emma Pomeroy, a palaeoanthropologist from Cambridge’s Department of Archaeology, said.
“It’s like a high-stakes 3D jigsaw puzzle.
“A single block can take over a fortnight to process.”
The rebuilt skull was surface scanned and 3D-printed, forming the basis of a reconstructed head created by world-leading Paleo artists and identical twins Adrie and Alfons Kennis, who built up layers of fabricated muscle and skin to reveal a face.
The cave has also been home to remains of 10 other Neanderthal people excavated more than 60 years ago, with clumps of ancient pollen surrounding one of the skeletons.
Archaeologists had suggested the presence of pollen indicated that the dead were buried with flowers, but a study led by Professor Chris Hunt, of Liverpool John Moores University, now indicates the pollen was left by bees burrowing into the cave floor.
The archaeological site of Aqar Quf in Iraq – in pictures
Further research since Shanidar Z was found has detected microscopic traces of charred food in the nearby soil.
These carbonised bits of wild seeds, nuts and grasses suggest not only that Neanderthals prepared food – soaking and pounding pulses – and then cooked it, but did so in the presence of their dead.
“The body of Shanidar Z was within arm’s reach of living individuals cooking with fire and eating,” said Dr Pomeroy.
“For these Neanderthals, there does not appear to be that clear separation between life and death.
“We can see that Neanderthals are coming back to one particular spot to bury their dead.
“This could be decades or even thousands of years apart.
“Is it just a coincidence, or is it intentional, and if so what brings them back?
“As an older female, Shanidar Z would have been a repository of knowledge for her group, and here we are 75,000 years later, learning from her still.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
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9.30pm: Forever Young
