Shanidar: A Case Study

The Shanidar Flower Burial

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The 'Shanidar Flower Burial' is a Neanderthal burial found in the Kurdistan province in Northern Iraq. It is one of eight skeletons found in the Shanidar cave, located 765 m above the Zagros River which connects with the Tigris River. Shanidar IV, commonly known as the flower burial, was found in 1960 during one of four excavation periods of the cave, headed by Ralph Solecki between 1951 and 1960. Shanidar IV was found 15 m away from the entrance of the cave, in a crypt-like enclosure, with the entrance blocked by a boulder and rockfall. Initially it was thought that there was only one body - a male, between the ages of 30-45 years. Upon further excavation, archaeologists discovered skeletal remains of two females and one infant underneath Shanidar IV, labelled Shanidar VI-VII and VIII respectively (Solecki, 1975).The flower burial seemed to have occurred around 60,000 years ago during an early phase of the Wurm glaciations. Fragments of mammal bones and flint flecks were found around the body, as well whole mammal bones were scattered around the skeleton, presumably from animals that came in search of food (Solecki, 1976; Sommer, 1999). 

Plant Matter vs. Plants Matter 

The flower burial owes its name to the unique presence of clustered flower pollen grains found at the site of the body. During the excavation of Shanidar IV, six soil samples were taken, and sent to Arlette Leroi-Gourhan, a palaeobotonist, with special emphasis to test for pollen on samples 313, 314, and 315. Samples 313 and 314 came back with high positive count for flower pollen clusters, as well sample 304 also had a high pollen count. The other samples, including sample 315, came back with normal range for pollen grains in the soil (Leroi-Gourhan, 1975; Solecki, 1975, 1976). 

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Leroi-Gourhan’s tests identified 28 different plant pollen. Seven species of pollen were found in clusters which contained two or three types of pollen, and Leroi-Gourhan was able to decipher that those seven species were brought into the cave simultaneously. It is presumed that the flowers were placed together in either bouquet-like bunches, or in wreath-like position (Leroi-Gourhan, 1975; Solecki, 1976).  

One of reasons that some archaeologists think that this burial was intentional has to do with the fact that seven plants out of the eight identified have medicinal and/or herbal properties, and interestingly, they can still be found in Iraq today. Amongst the species found, these plants have properties which can be used to treat dysentery, intestinal colic, bloating, swelling, some can be used as a diuretic, as a cardiac or nerve stimulant, as an aid for asthma, several have healing properties when ground into a paste and placed on wounds, at least one can be used as an insect repellent, etc (Solecki, 1975). * It is thought that perhaps this Neanderthal was giving the “flower burial” because he was a Shaman or had knowledge of these plants helpful properties. If this was the case, then this could open up the academic world to the possibility of many other ‘humanistic’ or “higher cognitive’ traits not previously known about or associated with Neanderthals such as ritualism, a spiritual realm, language, etc.    

 

Debate

It is debated whether or not flowers were placed with the body intentionally or not. If the flowers were intentionally placed with the body, it can be inferred that Neanderthals had a comprehensive spoken language, as well as a possibility that these Neanderthals practiced funerary rites or potentially even a concept of an afterlife.  If they were to pass on information about the healing properties of the interned plants, then it could be assumed that they had a spoken language with which to communicate this information with. As well, if they were placing flowers in this grave, the placement of flowers can be interpreted as a funerary ritual, which has not been seen anywhere else. This could potentially mean that Neanderthals had a “full range of feelings and experiences” unknown to scientists until now (Sommer, 1999 p. 128[Solecki, 1971]).

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On the other hand, many people are under the impression that these pollen clusters were brought into the cave by rodents as nesting material, as there was evidence of rodent disturbance at the Shanidar site. It has also been suggested that strong winds swept the plants into the cave. Advocates for an intentional burial have argued that animals or the wind could not bring in clustered flowers, however, research done on the Persian jird, Meriones persic rodent concludes that they are capable of carrying, and assembling nests made from flowers (Sommer, 1999). Based on research done in the 1990s, it possible that one colony of jirds could have carried enough flowers into the cave to account for the high pollen count, while the use of flowers to make nests would account for the clusters of pollen. Here in the cave, settled near the body, the jirds would also have a readily available source of meat! Mmmm…

(Picture: Persian Jird, how cute!)

* For a more comprehensive list of medicinal plants found at the site, and their medicinal and healing properties, Al-Rawi and Chakravarty’s “Medicinal plants of Iraq” is an excellent source of information, as well as Solecki, 1975.