A new archaeological find could solve the mystery of how the neanderthal people mourned their dead.

The remains of a 70,000-year-old skeleton were uncovered in Shanidar Cave, in the foothills of modern-day Iraq, in a channel that contained plant matter and pollen, suggesting the ancient humans may have offered floral tributes to the deceased.

The find is further indication that the neanderthals were more intelligent and culturally sophisticated than had previously been thought. It follows a discovery by scientists at University College London that the species crafted sophisticated long-distance spears for hunting and, contrary to the stereotype, walked in a much more upright manner.

Unearthed at the Shanidar Cave site 500 miles north of Baghdad, the remains, pictured below, consist of a crushed but complete skull and an upper thorax, as well as both hands. Its gender is yet to be determined, but early analysis suggests the skeleton, named Shanidar Z, has the teeth of a "middle- to older-aged adult".