At its elevation of roughly 765 meters, it sat above the summer heat of the Mesopotamian plain but below the worst of the winter cold.

The south-facing entrance gave it warmth and light.

The spring nearby gave it water without requiring movement.

It was, in short, an excellent place to live.

That is why people used it for 100,000 years.

The plant species that appear in the Shanidar pollen record — including the species whose presence in the burial context has generated such debate — are species of the specific Zagros Mountain environment.

They grew in the valleys and on the slopes around the cave.