Neanderthal Shanidar A Shows Signs of Deliberate Killing
Researchers say a sharpened wooden spear may have been used to intentionally kill a Neanderthal man who died about 75,000 years ago in present-day Iraqi Kurdistan.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Geography
Researchers report that Neanderthal Shanidar A, who died around 75,000 years ago in Iraqi Kurdistan, was possibly killed deliberately with a sharpened wooden spear. The findings were published October 15 in the journal Scientific Reports.
Why it matters
The evidence suggests violence between Neanderthals, a finding that adds to understanding of how these early humans interacted. The remains were first found in Shanidar Cave in the Zagros Mountains in 2020.
Analysis of the skeleton documents a 15-millimeter circular hole in the left shoulder blade of Shanidar A, consistent with a wooden spear rather than a stone tip. The remains show he survived a brutal facial injury by about one year before dying, and it is not yet confirmed whether the spear wound and facial injury are linked.
The players
Shanidar A
A Neanderthal adult whose partial skeleton, recovered from Shanidar Cave, has become a key case for studying prehistoric violence and care among early humans.
Scientific Reports
An open-access journal published by Nature Portfolio that publishes peer-reviewed research across the natural sciences.
The details
The spear entered from above at a downward angle, passing through the chest and damaging the lung and major arteries before reaching the shoulder blade. Researchers say the strike was an intended heart shot for a rapid death, and that the most straightforward explanation is violence between Neanderthals.
Timeline
Around 75,000 years ago: Shanidar A dies in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Around one year before death: Shanidar A suffers a severe facial injury and receives care.
2020: Shanidar A's remains are found in Shanidar Cave in the Zagros Mountains.
October 15: Findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Big Picture
The new analysis of Shanidar A extends decades of work at Shanidar Cave, where earlier excavations were read as evidence that Neanderthals cared for injured members of their groups. Researchers now weigh that picture against evidence that the same individual may have been killed by a spear.
The findings change how readers can think about the lives of early humans, showing that prehistoric communities faced both violence and deliberate care. Understanding this record helps frame how past human societies handled conflict and injury.
The takeaway
The Shanidar A case shows that the same ancient community could both inflict fatal violence and sustain an injured member for a year. Reading remains with care can reveal the full range of human behavior long before written records.
Further reading
Explore more on Geography to see how ancient sites like Shanidar Cave are mapped and studied.
