A Spear Wound Likely Killed This Neanderthal, but It Tells a Very Human Story

Life probably sucked for Shanidar A, a Neanderthal who lived around 75,000 years ago. First, they hurt their face so bad that the injury split a tooth and rotated others. But they survived. Later, a wooden spear punctured their shoulder blade—presumably punching a hole through their lung and major arteries. And that was it for Shanidar A.

But their remains did survive the test of time—allowing researchers to retrieve Shanidar A’s bones and share their story. In a study published…