SKELETONS FROM SHANIDAR CAVE—SOLECKI 609 
had caused much damage to the lower part. The nasal bones were 
broken and bulged outward. The skull height was foreshortened, 
measuring about 10 cm. from the top to the level of the brow ridges. 
However, even in its crushed state, the cranial vault appeared to have 
a definitely sloping forehead behind a heavy brow. The skull was 
canted slightly to the west, although still on an even keel. It faced 
south by southeast. 
Approximate field measurements were made on the skull using a 
wooden rule. The head length was about 21 cm., breadth about 18 
em. ‘These measurements on the crushed skull of course did not repre- 
sent the original skull dimensions. The biorbital diameter was about 
12cm. The brow ridges were very prominent and striking; they did 
not form a complete torus between the eyes, and they had a definite 
lateral flare. They measured about 12 cm. from side to side. Just 
behind the brow ridges was a marked postorbital constriction. A 
bulge occurred in the region of the facial bones on either side of the 
nasal aperture. A fragment of unidentified bone protruded from the 
orifice of the left eye socket. The frontal bone was cracked just to 
the left of the midline, the crack arcing up over the left brow. There 
was a vertical break through the middle of the left brow (pls. 3, left, 
and 4, upper). 
The condition of the breaks in the calvarium could be accounted for 
only by the crushing blow on the rear of the top and left side of the 
head, which burst the sides asunder. All the cranial bones seemed to 
be present and accounted for. The right part of the cranial vault, in- 
cluding the broken parietal, appeared to be in good condition. The 
bones of the left side of the skull vault just behind the frontal bone 
had been collapsed deep into the skull, leaving a V-shaped, jagged 
break (pls. 3, right, and 4, lower). Anarea measuring 15 cm. long and 
10 cm. wide was crushed in the cranium. Fragments of limestone were 
picked out of the loose dark-brown soil filling the top of the cavity. 
Part of the right upper parietal shelved over the break. All the 
sutures of the skull appeared to be closed, giving evidence of full 
maturity. 
We were very much impressed by the freshness of the appearance 
of the bones. They were dark reddish-brown, with black mottled 
patches and specks scattered over the surface. Although the bones 
were very friable, they were in a fair state of preservation and the soil 
peeled away very easily, leaving a damp surface, which dried rapidly 
on exposure. During the cleaning operation, an important consid- 
eration for the preservation of the skull became apparent. It seemed 
that the firm exterior surface of the cranial vault belied the actual 
thickness of the bone, particularly the crushed-in part of the left 
side (pl. 4, fig. 2). There the bone was reduced to almost eggshell 
thinness because the inner bone surface had become detached. Maran- 
