Revealing the face of a female Neanderthal 75,000 years ago – BBC News Thailand

What if we met one of our closest living relatives 75,000 years ago?

Scientists create a model of a female Neanderthal's face when she was still alive. It worked.

The model is made of crushed and flattened skull bones. So fragile that they are like “biscuits dipped in tea.”

First, the researchers had to strengthen the pieces before putting them together. Expert paleontologists later used these parts to create 3D models.

This masterpiece appears in a new documentary from BBC Studios on Netflix called “Neanderthal Secrets,” which can be translated as “Neanderthal Secrets” in Thai. “Secrets of the Neanderthal,” which tells the story of the Neanderthal, a distant relative of ours that became extinct about 40,000 years ago.

This model gives us a clear idea of ​​what it looks like.

Dr Emma Pomeroy, a paleontologist and member of the research team from the University of Cambridge, said: “I think this model will help us communicate better with them.”

“It was very exciting and an honor to have the opportunity to work with this person's bone fragments. Especially someone as special as you,” she told BBC News.

The skull used to create the model was discovered in Shanidar Cave in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The site is famous for the discovery of the bones of Neanderthal men, women and children, including 10 bones discovered in the 1950s.

In 2015, a group of British researchers was invited by the Kurdistan authorities to resume excavation work. They soon discovered a new skeleton, dubbed “Shanidar Z,” which included almost the entire upper part of this person's body. Including the spine, shoulders, arms and hands.

Most of the skull was there too. But it was flattened until it became only 2 cm thick, and was supposedly caused by rubble that had fallen from the ceiling of the cave in the past.

Professor Grammy Parker, from the University of Cambridge, said: “The skull is as flat as a pizza.” The head of the excavation team in Shanidar Cave said.

“It's been an amazing journey to see the change from what we initially experienced. It became this perfect simulation model. As an archaeologist sometimes we can get bored with what we do. But sometimes we get excited when we experience the past. We often forget how special it is.”

With the approval of the local Antiquities Service, the skull fragments were brought to the UK in the form of blocks of sediment. To begin the careful disassembly process set the case to be sturdy. And put them together again.

The complex jigsaw puzzle took archaeologists more than a year to complete.

After the skull was reconstructed, the surface of the piece was scanned, while a 3D model was presented to Dutch artists Adrie and Alphonse Kenes, famous for recreating realistic anatomy of ancient humans from bone remains and fossils.

Although the statue is attractive with its meditative expression, it is the skeleton prototype that has real value.

The research team is pretty sure it's a woman.

Gender confirmation is usually based on the pelvis. But the pelvis was not discovered along with the upper body.

Instead of using a sink, the researchers relied on some prominent proteins found in tooth enamel. This is linked to female genetics and low skeletal height supports this explanation.

How old is that she likely died in her mid-40s, which is supported by the fact that her teeth were worn down to their roots.

“If your teeth are worn down this much, chewing food may not be as effective as it used to be. So you can't eat the same way,” explains Dr. Pomeroy.

“We also have other indicators of poor dental health. Some symptoms of infection including gum disease. During this time I think she is entering the natural end of her life.”

For a long time, scientists considered Neanderthals to be cruel and uncivilized compared to us.

But the discovery in Shanidar Cave completely changed this perspective.

The cave is famous for displaying what appear to be funerary rituals. The body was carefully placed in a trench next to a large stone pillar. All the bodies had similar positions.

Flower pollen was found scattered throughout one skeleton. This has led some to suggest that these Neanderthals may have been buried with flowers. This may indicate a spiritual awakening. Or even religion

But the British research team believes it is more likely that the pollen was left behind by resident bees later. Or it may be pollen from flower twigs placed on the body.

“Not because of the flowers on the branch. But because the branches themselves may prevent hyenas from eating the corpses,” said Professor Chris Hunt of Liverpool John Morris University.

“I hesitate to use the word ‘burial’. I think I will use the word ‘secular’ to avoid thinking of the priest and the church. But it cannot be denied that they have a tradition of placing bodies here.”

Secrets of the Neanderthals will be available to watch on video streaming platform Netflix worldwide on Thursday.

Additional reporting by Gwenduff Hughes.