May 1st 2024.
Introducing Shanidar Z, a remarkable and ancient female Neanderthal whose story is being brought to life in a captivating new Netflix documentary. In this groundbreaking program, a team of dedicated archaeologists from the University of Cambridge and Liverpool John Moores come together to uncover the secrets of Shanidar Z's existence, and the answers they find may surprise you.
Shanidar Z was discovered in 2018 in the beautiful and rugged terrain of Iraqi Kurdistan, where she lay peacefully in a cave where her species had been known to lay their deceased loved ones to rest. This particular cave, known as Shanidar Cave, has been a source of fascination for scientists since the late 1950s when multiple Neanderthal remains were first uncovered, suggesting a pattern of burial rituals among these ancient humans.
In the new documentary, appropriately titled "Secrets Of The Neanderthals," the team returns to Shanidar Cave to continue their excavations and uncover more about Shanidar Z and her people. Dr. Emma Pomeroy, a paleoanthropologist from Cambridge, explains that Neanderthal skulls have distinct features such as prominent brow ridges and a lack of chin, but the reconstructed face of Shanidar Z suggests that these differences may not have been as pronounced in life.
Putting the pieces of Shanidar Z's skull back together was no easy feat, with Dr. Lucía López-Polín leading the task of piecing together over 200 bone fragments by hand. Each fragment had to be delicately cleaned and stabilized with glue and consolidant, similar to the consistency of a biscuit that has been dunked in tea. As Dr. Pomeroy describes, it was like a high-stakes 3D jigsaw puzzle, with each fragment taking up to two weeks to process.
Upon further analysis, it was determined that Shanidar Z was an older female, with her worn-down teeth revealing her age. She stood at approximately five feet tall and had smaller arm bones compared to other Neanderthal fossils. It was also discovered that she had been laid to rest in a gully hollowed out by running water, with her posture suggesting she may have been propped up against the wall with a small rock as a cushion.
The team also faced the mystery of how Shanidar Z's skull became flattened, with suggestions that it may have been caused by rockfall shortly after her death. This discovery adds to the ongoing question of why Neanderthals disappeared from the Earth around the same time that Homo sapiens began to spread across their territories. Professor Graeme Barker, who leads the excavations, believes that Shanidar Cave may hold the key to unraveling this mystery.
With its captivating recreations and groundbreaking discoveries, "Secrets Of The Neanderthals" is a must-see for anyone interested in the fascinating world of ancient humans. Don't miss its worldwide release on Netflix on May 2nd at 8am.
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