Artist’s impression of the Shanidar Cave ‘flower burial’.
The grave site of Shanidar IV (the 60,000 year-old skeletal remains of an adult male Neanderthal) was found to contain high concentrations of pollen; far more than expected for natural placement. Upon examination of these concentrated pollen samples,it was found that the overwhelming majority of plant species had medicinal properties, pointing to a potential deliberate inhumation with symbolic meaning.
Could Homo Neanderthalensis contemplate the notion of life after death? Shanidar, as well as other sites such as Kebara, give us insights into the social lives of our sister species. We might never know whether or not these ‘burials’ were, in fact, intentional - but we can certainly continue to question the Neanderthal stereotype.