Science

Why we give flowers to those in grief—or buy them for ourselves when we're sad

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Briefings

Archaeologist Ralph Solecki discovered Neanderthal burial sites at Shanidar Cave in Iraq containing pollen and flower fragments dating to approximately 60,000 years ago. This suggests Neanderthals may have used flowers in rituals, though the evidence remains preliminary and limited to pollen analysis from a single site.

Key points

• Ralph Solecki excavated Shanidar Cave in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and identified Neanderthal burial sites.
• Flower pollen and fragments were recovered from the site, suggesting Neanderthals may have placed flowers around their dead.

Context

This research challenges the long-held belief that Neanderthals were exclusively cannibalistic, proposing instead that they may have engaged in ritualistic behaviors using natural resources like flowers.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to pollen analysis from Shanidar Cave; no direct evidence of Neanderthal consumption of flowers exists. The interpretation of ritual behavior remains speculative and requires further archaeological confirmation.

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