NEANDERTAL BABY BURIALS

See Physical Anthropology: The Core, Chapter 11, page 290;

Physical Anthropology, 6^th edition, Chapter 18, pages 484-485.

For decades Neandertals have been portrayed as the first hominids to systematically and ritually bury their dead. Yet some researchers question whether reported burials were really intentional or whether they were natural depositions of fossils that were incorrectly interpreted. Suspected grave goods such as artifacts and animal bones may be no more than accidental associations with the skeletal remains. Now, the excavations of two infant Neandertals seems to provide solid evidence that Neandertals did intentionally bury their dead in a ritualistic manner.

One of the infants was about 10 months old when it died about 50,000 years ago in what is now Israel.¹ Found in Amud Cave and known as Amud 7, the baby had typical classic Neandertal features. What appears to be a ritual offering accompanies the body; the jaw of a red deer had been placed on the infant's hip.

The second burial is that of a two-year-old Neandertal found in Dederiyeh Cave, Syria.² Like Amud 7, it also has classical Neandertal features. The infant was buried "on its back with arms extended and legs flexed, indicating an intentional burial."³ Archaeologists believe that ritual activity is indicated by the presence of associated material. In this case, the child was buried with "a subrectangular limestone slab at the top of the head and a small piece of triangular flint just on the infant's heart...."⁴

The two burials are important for a number of reasons. The relationship between Neandertals and anatomically modern people has been a point of debate within physical anthropology. The anatomy of Amud 7 indicates that Neandertal characteristics were well established in a very young individual. This suggests that these anatomical features were genetic and not the result of the environmental influence on development.

Analysis of ash in Middle Eastern caves suggests that both Neandertals and modern peoples used hearths; both also appear to have made ritual offerings in their burials. And, in the Middle East, both are associated with Mousterian tool types. These facts seem to suggest similar mental and physical capabilities for Neandertals and anatomically modern peoples.

1 E. Hovers, Y. Rak, and W. Kimbel, "Neandertals of the Levant," Archaeology (January/February 1996), 49-50.
2 T. Akazawa, et al, "Neandertal Infant Burial," Nature, 377 (October 19, 1995), 585-586.
3 Ibid., 586.
4 Ibid.
See also R. Gore, "The Dawn of Humans: Neandertal," National Geographic, 189 (January 1996), 2-35.