New Neanderthal remains associated with the ‘Flower Burial’ at Shanidar Cave, Iraqi Kurdistan

Shanidar Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan became an iconic Palaeolithic site after Ralph Solecki’s discoveries in 1951-1960 of 10 Neanderthals, some of whom he argued had died in rockfalls and others–controversially–buried with formal burial rites, including one with flowers. New excavations began in 2015. In 2018 the team discovered the articulated upper body of an adult Neanderthal near to the ‘Flower Burial’ location, dating to 70–60 thousand years ago. Stratigraphic evidence suggests that it was a deliberate burial. The new find is the first articulated Neanderthal discovered for some 35 years, so of considerable potential importance for Neanderthal studies