Zawi Chemi–Shanidar

Zawi Chemi Shanidar and Shanidar are archaeological sites in Iraqi Kurdistan, dating to the transition from the 10th to the 9th millennium BCE. These sites are classified as prepottery and provide insights into early human settlements and practices.12

Key findings include:
* Early Farming and Domestication: Evidence of querns for grinding grain and domesticated sheep at Zawi Chemi Shanidar indicates early agricultural practices.12
* Settlement Structures: Remains of circular huts and later rectangular houses built with packed clay and stone foundations have been found.12
* Burial Practices: Cemeteries with grave goods, including copper beads and obsidian, suggest early trade and beliefs about the afterlife. The presence of dog skeletons and model boats in graves points to the continuation of life's activities in the afterlife.12
* Neanderthal Fossils: Shanidar cave has yielded human fossils, including those of Neanderthals, which provide information on their geographic range and relationship to earlier humans. These remains show significant wear and tear, indicating a difficult existence, but also suggest social networks that supported the injured and infirm.1