Disabled Neanderthal Nandy Lived Supported

In Shanidar Cave in Iraq, archaeologists uncovered the skeleton of a Neanderthal male known as Shanidar 1, or Nandy, who had lived into his 40s despite severe disabilities. His bones show a crushed eye socket that likely caused blindness on one side, major hearing loss, a missing right arm, and serious leg and foot damage that would have left him with a painful limp. Because these injuries had healed long before his death, researchers conclude that other members of his community must have fed, protected, and cared for him for many years.

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