An IPHES-CERCA researcher advances the reconstruction of the Shanidar Neanderthals during a research stay at the University of Cambridge

IPHES-CERCA researcher Dr Lucía López-Polín has completed a four-month stay at the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge, funded by the British Academy Visiting Fellowships. Her work focuses on the restoration and reconstruction of the newly excavated Neanderthal individuals from Shanidar Cave (Iraqi Kurdistan), building directly on the research she carried out during her 2021–22 postdoctoral stay.

That initial period of research culminated in the reconstruction of the Shanidar Z skull, a major contribution featured in the BBC and Netflix documentary “Secrets of the Neanderthals”. The current stay has allowed her to extend and update this line of research.

Advancing the study of the new Neanderthal individuals

Between 18 August and 18 December 2025, López-Polín participated in the restoration of the Neanderthal specimens recovered during the excavations led by Professor Graeme Barker. In parallel, she reviewed and refined several aspects of the reconstruction of Shanidar Z and systematised the documentation of the restoration treatments applied to the individuals excavated between 2015 and 2022, in collaboration with Dr Emma Pomeroy, who is responsible for the paleoanthropological study.

Part of the work carried out during this stay has also gained visibility in the field of conservation and restoration. News in Conservation magazine (issue 111, page 9) has published a dissemination article about the current restoration project at Shanidar.

This latest work forms part of the British Academy Visiting Fellowship project New reconstructions of the Shanidar Z, A and B Neanderthals, which aims to integrate new physical and virtual reconstructions to improve understanding of the anatomy, depositional context and possible funerary practices of these individuals.

Preliminary results and institutional collaboration

The first results were presented on 21 November 2024 at the PalMeso seminar (University of Cambridge). The remains currently being studied are on temporary loan to the British institution thanks to an agreement with the authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan, enabling significant progress in the restoration and detailed analysis of the new materials.

Dr López-Polín’s continued contribution to the Shanidar project strengthens IPHES-CERCA’s presence in international research on the restoration and analysis of ancient human remains. This new stay represents another step in a sustained line of work over recent years, which includes both the reconstruction of the Shanidar Z skull and the current study of the newly recovered individuals.