Researchers have reconstructed the skull of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman, discovered in the Shanidar Cave in Iraq, for the Netflix documentary “Secrets of the Neanderthals.” The site, located 500 miles north of Baghdad, has been a focal point for archaeologists from Cambridge University and Liverpool John Moores University since the discovery in 2018.
The skull, named Shanidar Z, was found compressed to about 2cm thick, having been crushed by a rockfall shortly after the woman’s death and further compacted by millennia of sediment. The restoration involved piecing together over 200 fragments of the skull by hand. Due to the absence of pelvic bones, researchers used protein sequencing from tooth enamel to determine the skeleton’s sex, identifying it as female. Analysis of her teeth suggested she died in her mid-forties.
Standing approximately five feet tall and possessing some of the smallest adult arm bones found in Neanderthal remains, her physique supports the identification as female. To stabilize the delicate bones, a glue-like consolidant was used during the excavation, which involved removing the remains in small, foil-wrapped blocks from beneath over seven meters of soil and rock.
In Cambridge, the skull fragments underwent micro-CAT scans to assist in their careful extraction and cleaning. The high precision required turned the reconstruction into “a high-stakes 3D jigsaw puzzle,” according to Dr. Emma Pomeroy from Cambridge’s Department of Archaeology.
The reconstructed skull was then surface scanned and 3D printed. Paleo artists Adrie and Alfons Kennis, renowned for their detailed reconstructions, created a lifelike model of the woman’s head by building up layers of fabricated muscle and skin. This reconstruction brings a face to ancient human history, providing a visual connection to our Neanderthal ancestors.
Shanidar Cave has yielded remains of ten other Neanderthal individuals over the past 60 years. Notably, surrounding one of the skeletons, clumps of ancient pollen were found, initially thought to indicate burial with flowers. However, recent studies suggest the pollen may have been deposited by bees.
Further insights into Neanderthal life have been gleaned from microscopic traces of charred food found near Shanidar Z, indicating that Neanderthals prepared and cooked food in proximity to their dead, blurring the lines between life and death rituals.
The documentary and ongoing research continue to reveal the complex social and survival strategies of Neanderthals, highlighting their significant role in human evolutionary history.