Researchers examining skeletal remains found in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan have identified what may be the earliest known instance of lethal violence involving a wooden spear. The remains, designated Shanidar A, belonged to a Neanderthal who lived 75,000 years ago. A distinctive 15mm hole in the individual’s left shoulder blade is believed to have been caused by a sharpened wooden spear that entered through the chest, potentially damaging vital organs and major blood vessels before exiting through the shoulder blade.
Dr. Emma Pomeroy from Cambridge’s Department of Archaeology led the research and noted that the nearly circular shape of the wound is consistent with experimental evidence from reconstructed wooden spears. While the researchers acknowledge uncertainty about the wound’s origin, Pomeroy suggested the strike may have been deliberately aimed at the heart. However, alternative explanations exist, including the possibility that the injury resulted from a hunting accident rather than deliberate violence between individuals.
Professor Chris Stringer from London’s Natural History Museum, who was not involved in the study, expressed the view that interpersonal violence appears more probable than accidental injury given the positioning and severity of the wound. This discovery adds to an accumulating body of archaeological evidence suggesting that violence among human populations extends further back in prehistory than previously established. Earlier remains from the same cave, dating to approximately 50,000 years ago, showed partially healed rib wounds attributed to stone-tipped spear injuries.
Additional support for the prevalence of ancient violence comes from a 2022 study examining early Neanderthal skulls from northern Spain. Researchers documented 57 healed head injuries among 20 individuals, with evidence suggesting deliberate, repeated blows concentrated in similar locations on the skull. These findings, along with other archaeological evidence, indicate that lethal interpersonal conflict may have occurred among human relatives hundreds of thousands of years ago, challenging earlier assumptions that organized violence emerged primarily with the development of agricultural societies.
The research has been published in the journal Scientific Reports, contributing to an ongoing scientific discussion about the frequency and nature of prehistoric violence and when isolated incidents may have evolved into organized conflict between groups.
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