630 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1959 
In earlier papers (Solecki, 1957c, p. 63; 1959b, p. 715), I estimated 
an age of about 60,000 years for Shanidar II. This estimate was 
based on an interpolation between the carbon-14 dates for the lower 
part of Layer C, and the probable identification of a stalagmitic 
horizon with a pluvial period, or Wiirm I in the Alpine sequence. 
As charted by Emiliani (1956, fig. 1; 1958), the Wiirm I stage is 
dated as about 65,000 years. The stalagmitic horizon (actually, sev- 
eral closely spaced sheaves of discontinuous stalagmitic lenses clustered 
around one widespread layer) lies at a depth of 8.5 m. Reasoning 
that with a carbon-14 date of 50,000 years for a level at a depth of 
5.0 m. in the western part of the excavation, it seems very likely that 
Shanidar II (depth 7.25 m.) is closer in age to that of the stalagmitic 
horizon. This would place the age of Shanidar II at about 60,000 
years, assuming of course that the stalagmitic horizon may be equated 
with Wiirm J, and that Emiliani’s calculations are correct for his 
estimate of the age of Wiirm I. 
It is possible that with advanced technology in the carbon-14 method 
or some other method, a more closely approximate date for Shanidar 
II will be obtained in the future. However, until this is done, the 
approximate age of 60,000 years is given here. 
The Shanidar infant, found a short distance above the main stalag- 
mitic layer (Solecki, 1955a, p. 417; 1955b, p. 30), must be older than 
Shanidar I, IT, and III, and younger than the stalagmitic layer. As 
indicated above, I believe this layer represents a pluvial period of 
Wiirm I age. I estimated an age of 70,000 years for the Shanidar 
infant in an earlier paper (Solecki, 1957c, p. 63), based on then 
current age approximations of Wiirm I. With Emiliani’s new esti- 
mate of Wiirm I as about 65,000 years old, we might revise our figure 
accordingly to about 64,000 years(?). Again, this is a provisional 
approximation, which we offer until a more accurate appraisal of 
the geology can be made at Shanidar Cave. Madame Arlette Leroi- 
Gourhan’s analysis of fossil pollen from this horizon in Shanidar 
Cave should furnish us with more definite information on climate in 
the near future. 
Dr. Muzaffer Senyiirek, of Ankara University, who studied the 
Shanidar infant, believes it to be a baby girl (Senyiirek, 1959, p. 10). 
He thinks that it represents a new “subspecies” of Neanderthal, closely 
related to the ancestors of Homo sapiens. He proposes to name it 
as a new form of Neanderthal man, “Homo sapiens shanidarensis 
(Senyiirek, 1959, p. 125). It will be interesting to see what the find- 
ings of Dr. Stewart on the adult Neanderthals will reveal with respect 
to this classification of the Shanidar infant. 
