Revealed: face of 75,000-year-old female Neanderthal from cave where species buried their dead
Summary
Researchers from the University of Cambridge reconstructed Shanidar Z, a 75,000-year-old female Neanderthal, from hundreds of bone fragments and used micro-CT scans and careful consolidation to restore its original shape. The skull was then 3D-printed to guide a life-like facial reconstruction by palaeoartists, challenging traditional views of Neanderthal appearance and suggesting possible interbreeding with Homo sapiens. The work also situates the find within a burial cluster at Shanidar Cave, highlighting sophisticated burial practices in this Neanderthal population.