Study casts doubt on Neanderthal ‘flower burial’ theory

Exclusive: Bees may be source of pollen near remains but evidence still suggests bodies were buried with care

Buried in a partial foetal position and surrounded by flower pollen, the discovery of Shanidar 4 - a Neanderthal skeleton unearthed in 1960 - prompted a dramatic reappraisal of our ancient cousins.

Far from being brutish thugs, the Shanidar flower burial, as it became known, painted a picture of Neanderthals as empathic beings who cared enough for their dead to scour the mountains for funeral bouquets. Now, fresh evidence suggests this interpretation may have been incorrect - although Neanderthals may still have had strong funerary rituals.