AI Image
Hole in Neanderthal shoulder bone linked to ancient wooden spear
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Archaeologists discovered a 15mm hole in a Neanderthal shoulder blade from Iraqi Kurdistan, dating back 75,000 years, which may be the earliest evidence of lethal violence caused by a sharpened wooden spear.
- The spear likely entered the chest, damaging vital organs before exiting through the left shoulder blade, suggesting either interpersonal violence or a hunting accident as possible causes.
- This find, named Shanidar A, adds to evidence that Neanderthals experienced interpersonal violence, challenging previous views on the rarity of such behavior in prehistoric humans.
- Similar evidence from the same cave shows a Neanderthal wounded by a stone-tipped spear around 50,000 years ago, while a 2022 study from Spain indicates deadly violence among Neanderthals occurred as far back as 430,000 years ago.
- Experts suggest these findings point to a deep-rooted history of human-on-human violence in prehistory, though the exact circumstances of these injuries remain uncertain.
