A recent study has used advanced radiocarbon dating to refine the estimated age of the Lapedo Child, an archaeological discovery that has transformed our understanding of the relationship between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. The skeletal remains exhibit both Neanderthal and modern human traits and have now been dated to approximately 28,000 years ago, challenging earlier estimates.

Lapedo Child found in Portugal in 1998 — *Photo Credit: João Zilhão and Cidália Duarte / Bethan Linscott et al., Science Advances (2025)*

A Groundbreaking Discovery in Portugal

The Lapedo Child was first unearthed in 1998 at the Lagar Velho rock shelter in Portugal’s Lapedo Valley. This remarkable find consists of the skeleton of a four-to-five-year-old child, discovered in what appeared to be a ritual burial site. The skeletal features – a mix of Neanderthal robustness and modern human characteristics such as a prominent chin – immediately sparked debates about the possibility of interbreeding between the two human lineages. At the time, hybridisation was a contentious theory, as the Neanderthal genome had not yet been sequenced. However, later genetic research confirmed multiple instances of interbreeding, leaving traces of Neanderthal DNA in modern non-African populations.

New Dating Techniques Provide More Precision

One of the main challenges in studying the Lapedo Child has been accurately determining the age of the remains. Previous radiocarbon dating attempts produced broad and inconsistent results, suggesting an age range between 20,000 and 26,000 years BP. However, a new study published in Science Advances has utilised a cutting-edge technique known as compound-specific radiocarbon analysis (CSRA). By isolating specific amino acids from bone collagen, this method effectively removes modern contamination, which is particularly problematic for poorly preserved remains. The results provided a far more precise date range of 27,780 to 28,850 years ago.

Lapedo burial plan showing the position of dated samples — *Photo Credit: G. Casella / Bethan Linscott et al., Science Advances (2025)*

Unravelling the Burial Context

The study also examined other materials found within the burial site to determine whether they played a role in a funerary ritual. Researchers analysed:

Bones from a young rabbit placed atop the child's remains
Red deer bones located near the child’s shoulder
Charcoal found beneath the legs, possibly from a ritual fire

While the rabbit bones were found to be contemporaneous with the child, the red deer bones and charcoal were significantly older, indicating they were not part of the original burial offering. The rabbit bones, however, were coated in red ochre, similar to the pigment found on the burial shroud, suggesting a symbolic offering before the grave was sealed.

A Site Abandoned for Over 2,000 Years

Another fascinating conclusion from the study is that the site appears to have been abandoned following the burial. This raises the possibility that the child's death may have marked the site as a place of spiritual or cultural significance, leading the community to avoid it for over two millennia. Previous research has highlighted ritualistic traditions surrounding death in both early humans and Neanderthals, reinforcing the idea that prehistoric communities assigned symbolic value to certain locations following major life events.

Implications for Neanderthal-Human Interactions

The refined dating of the Lapedo Child adds new dimensions to the debate on the extent and duration of human-Neanderthal interactions. Genetic evidence suggests interbreeding began at least 49,000 years ago and continued for around 7,000 years. However, if the Lapedo Child – a potential hybrid – lived around 28,000 years ago, this raises questions about whether genetic exchanges persisted longer than previously thought or whether hybrid traits reappeared in later generations.

Advancing Our Understanding of the Past

This study underscores the importance of innovative dating techniques in enhancing our understanding of ancient human remains. By providing more accurate chronologies, such methods help refine our knowledge of human evolution and the complex history of interactions between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. The Lapedo Child remains a key piece of this puzzle, shedding light on our shared ancestry and the cultural practices of early humans.

New Radiocarbon Dating Reveals Lapedo Child’s Age and Neanderthal-Human Interaction!