Archaeologists have meticulously reconstructed the face of an archaic Neanderthal woman named Shanidar Z, whose skull was shattered some 75,000 years ago and found within the depths of Shanidar Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2018. This remarkable feat involved assembling hundreds of fragmented bone pieces, possibly resulting from post-mortem trauma like rockfall, followed by millennia of sediment compression.
Utilizing advanced surface scanning and 3D-printing technologies, experts have now brought Shanidar Z’s visage back to life, complete with muscles, skin, and facial features. Their efforts are documented in the recently released Netflix film “Secrets of the Neanderthals,” providing a fascinating glimpse into the past.
According to paleoanthropologist Emma Pomeroy of the University of Cambridge, Neanderthal skulls differ significantly from those of modern humans, featuring pronounced brow ridges, absence of chins, and prominent midfaces. However, the reconstructed face of Shanidar Z suggests that these distinctions may have been less stark in reality.
Neanderthals, our closest ancient relatives, inhabited Eurasia for hundreds of thousands of years until their extinction roughly 40,000 years ago. During this time, they interbred with Homo sapiens migrating out of Africa, leaving a genetic legacy that persists in modern human populations.
Shanidar Cave gained renown in the 1950s for revealing multiple Neanderthal burials, indicating it served as a significant funerary site for these ancient humans. Among the numerous discoveries, Shanidar Z stands out as one of the most remarkably preserved specimens. Excavated under layers of soil and rock, her remains, including part of her skeleton, were carefully analyzed to determine her sex, estimated age (in her mid-40s), and approximate height (around 5 feet or 1.5 meters).
Despite missing pelvic bones, archaeologists identified Shanidar Z’s sex through dental enamel protein analysis, while age-related wear patterns provided insights into her life stage. These findings underscore the remarkable preservation of Shanidar Z and contribute to our understanding of Neanderthal biology and behavior.
