This male Neanderthal individual from Shanidar Cave in northern Iraq shows evidence of a suite of injuries suffered prior to death. His right arm was severely atrophied (withered), a condition that he dealt with for most of his life, possibly since birth. He also had a crippled and withered right leg. One of the metatarsals (middle foot bones) on his right foot shows a healed fracture. As if this weren't enough, he also suffered a crushing injury to the left eye that may have deprived him of sight for some time. Evidence of the eye injury is visible in the top photograph. Look carefully at the left orbit (on the right side of the photograph). The bones of the skull are decidedly asymmetrical around this eye socket. All of these injuries show signs of healing, and so none resulted in the individual's death. Paleoanthropologists have thus inferred that this individual was cared for during his lifetime by other members of his group, since without the care of the social group he probably would not have been able to survive.

In the side view of Shanidar 1, the back of the skull appears to be flattened and rises at a steep angle to the crown of the head. This peculiar shape, not noticed in more "classic" examples of Neanderthals from Europe, could be the result of intentional deformation of the skull at infancy. By placing the individual's head against a board or other flat, firm object for several days after birth, permanent deformation can be achieved. This cultural tradition has been observed among historic cultures as well, most notably the Maya of pre-Columbian Mexico/Central America. If this is true, it adds another intriguing cultural practice to Neanderthal social life.

Shanidar Cave is also famous for one burial that appears to have the pollen from wildflowers associated with the soil around the skull. Although it could have been a coincidence, this association of flower pollen and burial has led some researchers to speculate that some Neanderthal groups adorned the bodies of their dead with gifts and ornamentation that were symbolically important to the social group. The association of the pollen with the grave has been challenged from the very beginning. While it is clear that Neanderthals buried their dead, whether they adorned the bodies with culturally significant symbols is debated and strongly doubted by some researchers.

Another individual from this cave, Shanidar 3, suffered a piercing wound to a rib on the left side of his body. This wound would have punctured the lung, and while some healing was present, it is certain that the individual died shortly after receiving the injury. Whether this was a hunting accident or the oldest evidence of death at the hands of another human is not as yet clear.