On the territory of Iraq, in the Zagros mountain system, the Shanidar cave is located. It is known for the fact that, since the 1950s, researchers have discovered there the remains of Neanderthals who lived 50-70 thousand years ago. In 2018, scientists found there a very poorly preserved skeleton of one of the very first inhabitants of the cave – a 45-year-old woman, whose body was crushed by a stone after the funeral. Despite the fact that the bones of the Neanderthal were broken into pieces, scientists recently managed to put the skull back together and then restore the appearance of the ancient woman. The researchers did a great job, especially considering that for a long time they could not even understand whether it was a woman or a man. How scientists tried to find out the sex of a Neanderthal is a separate story that is definitely worthy of your attention.
The reconstructed skull of a Neanderthal woman, from which the appearance was reconstructed. Image source: University of Cambridge
Neanderthals in Shanidar Cave
According to scientists, the Neanderthal found was buried in Shanidar Cave about 75,000 years ago.Judging by the nature of the burial, her fellow tribesmen already knew how to bury people, observing certain traditions. The deceased woman was not simply placed in a hole and covered with earth. The ancient people first washed the hole in the cave with water, and then laid the body on its side, placing the woman’s hand under the head. Scientists also discovered something similar to a stone pillow behind her head.
Entrance to Shanidar Cave. Photo source: University of Cambridge
Near the body of the Neanderthal, remains of wild seeds, nuts and herbs were found. According to the study's authors, ancient people may have treated dead people differently than we do today – perhaps they did not separate them from the living. Therefore, they were quite capable of eating food next to the dead and not burying them for a long time. But this is just an assumption for which scientific evidence has not yet been found.
Read also: Scientists have restored the face of a Neanderthal and were amazed – look what he looks like
How scientists study the bodies of ancient people
Some time after the funeral, a stone fell on the grave. Because of this, the Neanderthal skeleton was flattened, making it difficult for scientists to study it. At first they didn't even realize it was a woman. Usually a woman’s skeleton can be recognized by the wide bones of the pelvis, but in this case there were none at all. It was possible to determine the gender after measuring the height (1.5 meters) and the size of the hands – they were small. In addition to all this, a DNA scan indicated the discovery of a female skeleton.
The flattened skull of a Neanderthal woman. Photo source: University of Cambridge
The fact that at the time of death Neanderthal was 45 years old, it became clear from the condition of her teeth. The woman's tooth enamel was damaged as if she had lived a very long life by the standards of those times. The front teeth of the Neanderthal were generally worn down almost to the very roots.
Who would win in the boxing ring: a Neanderthal or a modern man?
What did Neanderthal women look like< /h2>
After determining gender and age, another, even more difficult part of the work began. To recreate the appearance of the Neanderthal, scientists had to assemble her skull from more than 200 small fragments. To transport the particles to the laboratory intact, the researchers strengthened them with an adhesive solution and then placed them in foil packages. In laboratory conditions, the skull was completely restored, including even the lower jaw and teeth. According to the authors of the scientific work, it was like a complex 3D puzzle, and the processing of one section of the skull sometimes took a couple of weeks.
After the skull was reconstructed, it was scanned and a three-dimensional copy was stored on a computer. Then, using a 3D printer, scientists created a copy of the Neanderthal skull. Subsequently, experienced designers restored its appearance, taking into account the location of muscles and other tissues, as well as the elasticity of the skin. The end result is what you see in the image below – it seems that some Neanderthals were not so different from modern humans. They just had rougher facial features.
Reconstruction of the appearance of a 40-year-old Neanderthal woman who lived 75,000 years ago. Image source: University of Cambridge
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Recently, an informative article was published on our website, which is very similar to the topic of this news. Scientists already know many aspects of women's lives in Neanderthal society. For example, there is much convincing evidence that Neanderthals reached sexual maturity early and sought out men from other tribes. Neanderthal women had wider pelvises than modern girls, but their births were still painful – babies had large heads, and a wide pelvis did not make birth easier. There is also an opinion that ancient women hunted animals no worse than men. These and other features of the life of Neanderthals were drawn by a neural network, just look at what it came up with.