Researchers examining skeletal remains excavated from Shanidar cave in Iraqi Kurdistan have identified what may be the oldest evidence of a human ancestor being fatally wounded by a wooden spear. The remains, dating to more than 70,000 years ago, belonged to an adult Neanderthal approximately 45 years old. The distinctive injury—a 1.5 centimeter-wide circular hole in the shoulder blade—shows characteristic patterns of spear trauma, including three radiating fractures and bone fragments pushed inward during impact.
The skeletal remains were discovered beneath nearly 8 meters of rock and sediment at the cave site. At least five Neanderthals had been deposited in the same burial location over an extended period, arranged in a depression no larger than a refrigerator behind a large boulder near the cave entrance. Some bodies appeared to have been placed on top of others still in advanced stages of decomposition, suggesting a deliberate and repeated practice of returning to the burial site over several years or decades.
According to researchers, the wound’s location and the force required to drive the spear through the chest cavity indicate it was likely a fatal injury. The trajectory suggests the spear struck from the front, potentially puncturing the lung and severing major blood vessels before penetrating through the shoulder blade. However, determining whether the wound resulted from intentional violence or a hunting accident remains impossible to establish definitively from skeletal evidence alone.
The injured individual exhibited other signs of previous trauma or hardship. Dental examination revealed a lower incisor split vertically with neighboring teeth twisted inward, injuries that would have caused severe pain. Hardened plaque buildup on the damaged tooth indicated the injury had occurred at least a year before death. Evidence suggests Neanderthals at Shanidar hunted ibex as their primary prey using wooden spears similar in design to modern javelins. While wooden implements rarely survive from prehistory due to decomposition, timber spears discovered in Germany date to approximately 200,000 years ago, and wooden artifacts from Spain demonstrate Neanderthal woodworking capabilities.
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