Fatal Neanderthal wound may be earliest evidence of a wooden spear attack on a human ancestor
Researchers have analyzed a well-preserved Neanderthal scapula from Iraqi Kurdistan, identifying a circular perforation likely caused by a wooden spear. The study suggests the wound was a fatal, intentional strike to the chest.
Why it matters
This finding adds significant detail to the hominin fossil record regarding the evolution of weaponry and lethal conflict among early human ancestors.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add to Preferred Sources The ventral (left) and dorsal (right) views of the Shanidar A scapula. Ventral is the front of the scapula, the side that faces the ribs (chest). Dorsal is the back of the scapula. Credit: Dr. Emma Pomeroy A round hole in the shoulder blade (scapula) of a Neanderthal whose partial remains were unearthed in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan may be the earliest known example of lethal interpersonal violence with a wooden spear in the hominin fossil record.
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