The Flowers Found with Shanidar IV, a Neanderthal Burial in Iraq

Abstract

Analysis of soil samples from the Shanidar IV burial, Shanidar cave, revealed the same pollens throughout the sequence, with variations in frequency. However, samples 313 and 314 contained, in addition, several pollen clusters of as many as 100 pollen grains, evidence that complete flowers were introduced into the burial cave.

The evolution of speech and language

“…U razdoblju između 200 i 40 000 godina prije sadaš-njosti svjedoci smo velikih inovacija u kulturnom izričaju, a istovremeno se javljaju i pokazatelji za koje većina autora smatra da valja tumačiti u sferi simboličkog (poput ukopa i umjetnosti). Neandertalci, koji u to vrijeme obitavaju na tlu Europe i zapadne i središnje Azije, prvi su ljudi za koje imamo nepobitne dokaze o ukapanju mrtvih (vidi raspravu u Garget 1989;Riel-Salvatore & Clark 2001;D'Errico et al 2003;Klein 2000;Harrold 1980;Binford 1968;Leroi-Gourhan 1975;Solecki 1963Solecki , 1975Akazawa et al 1995;Ovchinnikov et al 2000;Rak et al 1994;Hovers et al 1995Hovers et al , 2000Arensburg et al 1985;Hayden 1993;Valladas et al 1987). Ukopi neandertalaca kao što su La Chapelle-aux-Saints, La Ferrassie, Spy, Amud, Kebara, Dederiyeh, Teshik Tash, samo su neki od primjera ovakvog odnosa prema pokojnicima.…”

“…Ponekad, iako ne toliko često, ukopi sadrže i grobne priloge. Shanidar 4 često se navodi i kao primjer postojanja grobnih ceremonija, budući da visoka koncentracija cvjetnog peluda unutar groba ukazuje na postojanje grobnog priloga u vidu cvijeća, ili pak cvjetnog odra u grobu (Leroi-Gourhan 1975;Solecki 1975; za drugačije objašnjenje vidi Chase i Dibble 1987).…”

“…Between 200 and 40 000 years before present, we witness great innovations in cultural expression, and, at the same time, indicators appear which most scientists believe should be interpreted as symbolic behavior (like burials and art). Neandertals who, at the time, inhabited Europe and western and central Asia are the first humans who, we can safely say, buried their dead (see discussion in Garget 1989; Riel-Salvatore & Clark 2001; D 'Errico et al 2003;Klein 2000;Harrold 1980;Binford 1968;Leroi-Gourhan 1975;Solecki 1963Solecki , 1975Akazawa et al 1995;Ovchinnikov et al 2000;Rak et al 1994;Hovers et al 1995;Arensburg et al 1985;Hayden 1993;Valladas et al 1987). Neanderthal burials like those from La Chapelle-aux-Saints, La Ferrassie, Spy, Amud, Kebara, Dederiyeh, Teshik Tash, are only some examples of this relation to the deceased.…”

Archaeometry: changes and current trends

“…Un caso singular y extremo es el de la identificación de una ofrenda floral en la sepultura Neanderthal de Shanidar. En este caso el especialista, Leroi Gourhan (1975), es el que ofrece una explicación a los datos dentro de unas circunstancias contextuales aparentemente conocidas: la presencia de polen de flores en este enterramiento sólo puede explicarse por causas antrópicas, dando una nueva dimensión simbólica al comportamiento de los Neanderthales. Sin embargo, posteriormente Sommer (1999) encontró una explicación alternativa, atribuyendo la aportación del polen a un tipo de roedor también identificado entre los restos de la cueva, cambiando de manera radical la interpretación y sus implicaciones culturales.…”

Pleistocene Palaeoart of Asia

“…The Mousterian artefact is 62 mm long, featuring over twenty grooves, and approximately 100 ka old. A range of other Middle Palaeolithic evidence from the Levant has been described as indicative of some symbolic function (e.g., Leroi-Gourhan 1975; Bar-Yosef 1989; Belfer-Cohen and Hovers 1992) [95,96,6,51]. [124], but the several portable decorated objects from the Upper Palaeolithic provide more reliable evidence, particularly in terms of their approximate age.…”