Neanderthal Shoulder Wound Indicates Lethal Spear Attack 75,000 Years Ago
Current overview (not historical)
Archaeologists have uncovered a 75,000‑year‑old Neanderthal scapula in Iraqi Kurdistan that bears a 15‑mm circular hole, which they interpret as the result of a wooden spear strike. The size and shape of the wound, combined with experimental reconstructions of Neanderthal spears, suggest the projectile penetrated the chest cavity and damaged vital organs, pointing to an intentional heart shot. This finding challenges earlier assumptions that Neanderthal violence was rare, implying that lethal combat may have been more common in their societies than previously thought. The study, reported by BBC World, highlights how a single fossilized injury can reshape our understanding of Neanderthal behavior and the prevalence of armed conflict in prehistoric times.
Written with AI from the reporting · updated 10/15/2026
Expand the detailed fact route and sources
Story route
A station-by-station route from the first public evidence onward; every station carries its own evidence and uncertainty.
- 1Unclassified fact stationOct 16, 03:34single sourcereport-time onlyrevised
Neanderthal shoulder wound suggests lethal spear attack 75,0
Read original source ↗ BBC WorldReplay this moment in the explorerEvidence & revisions · 1 source records
- Subject：
- Neanderthal individual
- Action：
- struck through chest by sharpened wooden spear
- Object：
- shoulder blade and chest
- Occurred (fact side)：
- not recorded
- Published (valid side)：
- Oct 15, 23:00
- First seen (known side)：
- Oct 16, 03:34
Fact stationSingle source · one-sided claimRevisedReport-time onlyCopy may have been revised later; time replay is bounded. Layer labels group reading only, not causation between layers.
Uncertainty marks flag where to check the sources; they are not proven causation.
Report timeline
Explore every side through dated source reports.
- BBC WorldRelated fact: single sourceFact occurrence time unverifiedSource report revisedWound on 75,000-year-old Neanderthal suggests lethal wooden spear use
Report first recorded Oct 16, 03:34
Archaeologists found a 15mm hole on a shoulder blade of a Neanderthal, Shanidar A, who died 75,000 years ago in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan. Researchers suggest a sharpened wooden spear struck through the chest, potentially damaging a lung and major blood vessels, exiting through the left shoulder blade. This evidence, along with other findings, suggests Neanderthal societies experienced more violence than previously thought, and the wound may be the earliest evidence of lethal interpersonal violence from a wooden spear in the prehistoric Middle East. While the study lead author, Dr Emma Pomeroy, noted the violence is not certain and could be a hunting accident, Prof Chris Stringer suggested an attack by a rival is more plausible.
Read original source ↗
Event discussion
Reader opinions are hosted on GitHub Discussions; posting requires a GitHub account. Comments are not verified facts.