Neanderthal wood use and fatal injuries revealed by archaeological finds

Recent archaeological discoveries are providing new insights into the sophisticated woodworking skills and violent encounters of Neanderthals. At the Abric Romani shelter near Barcelona, researchers analyzed 597 wooden remains and impressions dating from approximately 62,000 to 40,000 years ago. While most were natural debris, 13 elements were identified as deliberately processed or utilized by Neanderthals. These include potential spears and objects with handles, preserved as natural molds in rock due to calcium carbonate encasing the wood as it decayed.

In a separate finding from the Shanidar cave in Iraqi Kurdistan, analysis of a Neanderthal skeleton reveals a fatal injury that may be the oldest known evidence of a lethal attack by a wooden spear. The skeleton, studied by a team from the University of Cambridge, shows a 15-millimeter circular perforation in the scapula. Researchers suggest a wooden spearhead likely caused the wound, which may have entered through the chest, pierced the lungs and major blood vessels, and exited through the shoulder blade. While the circumstances of the death remain uncertain, investigators are considering whether it was a deliberate attack or an accident during a hunt.