Mousterian burials in Eurasia: twenty years after. Taphological and historiographic aspect

The article considers new discoveries in investigations of Mousterian burials in recent decades. All discussed burials contain remains of newborn and one-year-old children of Homo sapiens Neanderthalensis: Amud 7 in Israel, Dederiyeh 1, 2 in Syria, Mezmaiskaya 1 (complete skeleton) and Mezmaiskaya 2 (isolated skull in pit) in Russia. The burials were discovered in cave sites' deposits, and probably furnished with grave goods (Amud 7 and Dederiyeh 1, 2). In the same period skeletal remains of the Le Moustier 2 (newborn child) were re-discovered (1914/1996). Chronology of the discussed burials ranges from 67 000 to 48 000 years ago.