Location

Shanidar Cave is an archaeological site in northern Iraq. It lies on Bradost Mountain within the Zagros Mountains, in the Erbil Governorate of the Kurdistan Region.

Neanderthal discoveries

Neanderthal remains were discovered at the cave in 1953. The site has also been associated with evidence of Neanderthal occupation in the Great Zab basin.

• Shanidar 1, also known as Nandy, is a Neanderthal skeleton found at the site. The individual survived several injuries, which may indicate care from others in the group.
• Shanidar 4 is associated with a possible “flower burial,” where pollen over the remains was interpreted as evidence of deliberately placed flowers. This interpretation has been questioned, with natural processes such as bee accumulation suggested as an alternative explanation.

Excavation history

The American archaeologist Ralph Solecki is known for excavations at Shanidar Cave, a Neanderthal site in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.