Shanidar Cave is an iconic site in Palaeolithic research thanks to the discoveries of the remains of ten Neanderthal men, women and children by Ralph Solecki and his team between 1951 and 1960. Shanidar 1’s extensive injuries during his life have been central to discussions of Neanderthal compassion and care, while the famous ‘flower burial’ (Shanidar 4, whose body was surrounded by pollen clumps), has been a hotly-contested example of Neanderthal funerary behaviour for decades.
