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Neanderthal remains may show earliest spear killing

The adult was excavated with other Neanderthals in an Iraqi Kurdistan cave, and archaeologists spotted the shoulder injury afterward; the case is still circumstantial.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on The Five O'Clock
Published 5:34 PM ET, Thursday, October 15, 2026

Photo: Ryan Schwark · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

Photo: Neanderthal — Photo: Ryan Schwark · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by The Guardian: “Neanderthal remains may be earliest human ancestor find killed by a spear”.
Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 5:34 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.

The real story

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The GuardianNeanderthal remains may be earliest human ancestor find killed by a spear

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentArchaeologists in a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan found a Neanderthal who died more than seventy thousand years ago, with a smooth round hole in the shoulder blade.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo it could be the oldest sign of a human ancestor killed by a wooden spear.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWhy does a shoulder wound count as a kill shot?
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe hole's shape fits a spear, and the researchers say it may have done the damage. It is a possible cause, not a proven one.