Archaeologists have identified a 15mm hole in the shoulder blade of a Neanderthal who died 75,000 years ago. The remains, designated Shanidar A, were recovered from a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Found alongside the left shoulder blade were some teeth, three ribs, and the individual's right hand. At least 10 other Neanderthals were discovered in this same cave during excavations in the 1950s.
Dr Emma Pomeroy stated, "The fatal strike may have been an intended heart shot." Pomeroy noted, "It is not the kind of break that you would get naturally, because it is so circular."
Prof Chris Stringer said, "The researchers leave it open whether this resulted from a hunting accident or interpersonal violence, but in my view the latter seems more likely, given the positioning and extent of the wound." Stringer added, "I unfortunately see the growing body of evidence as an indication that interpersonal violence goes deep into human prehistory."
Another Neanderthal lived in the cave approximately 50,000 years ago and showed evidence of a partly healed wound on its ribs. A 2022 study in the journal Scientific Reports examined early Neanderthal skulls from northern Spain at "the Pit of Bones".
Deadly violence occurred in that region roughly 430,000 years ago. Researchers identified 57 healed head injuries among 20 individuals at the site.
Nine of those individuals suffered potentially fatal skull fractures, with six showing similar puncture wounds at the back-left of the head. One skull featured two wounds likely inflicted by the same object.
Neanderthals eventually went extinct around 40,000 years ago.
