Lapedo Child hybrid fossil found at Abrigo do Lagar Velho. A 4-year-old Gravettian male child with Neanderthal features was found buried at Abrigo do Lagar Velho The child was buried carefully wrapped in cloth and surrounded by gifts The site is located in horizontal fissures along the base of a limestone cliff in the Lapedo Valley near Lagos, Portugal
A 4-year-old Gravettian child buried approximately 24,500 years ago was found at Abrigo do Lagar Velho in Portugal's Lapedo Valley, displaying features that sparked debate about potential Neanderthal ancestry. The discovery was made in 1998. The child was buried with pierced shells and red ocher, and the skeleton was found in a rock shelter at the base of a limestone cliff. The child was buried with pierced shells and red ochre, and the skeleton was found on its back with head to the east and left side against the cliff wall.
Key Facts
- A 4-year-old Gravettian male child with Neanderthal features was found buried at Abrigo do Lagar Velho
- The child was buried carefully wrapped in cloth and surrounded by gifts
- The site is located in horizontal fissures along the base of a limestone cliff in the Lapedo Valley near Lagos, Portugal
- The skeleton was found on its back with head to the east and left side against the cliff
- The skeleton and sediment were heavily stained with red ocher
- Vertically oriented animal bones and stones surrounded the burial
- The morphological mosaic indicates admixture between Gravettian modern humans and Neanderthals
- Dating to 28,000-30,000 years BP places this in the Upper Paleolithic period in southern Iberia
Related site: Abrigo do Lagar Velho — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Lapedo Child by History, Myths & Legends