Leanderthal Lady is the skeletal remains of a prehistoric woman discovered in January 1983 near the city of
Leander, Texas
Leander ( ) is a city in Williamson County, Texas, Williamson and Travis County, Texas, Travis Counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 59,202 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and 87,511 at the 2024 census estimate. A subur ...
. The remains were alternatively labeled "Leanne". Both names were inspired by the proximity of the site to the town of Leander, a suburb of
Austin
Austin refers to:
Common meanings
* Austin, Texas, United States, a city
* Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
* Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
. Contrary to her name, the Leanderthal Lady lived during the end of the Ice Age, long after the Neanderthals.
Leanne was discovered by the
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a Texas state government agency responsible for construction and maintenance of the state's immense Texas state highway system, state highway system and the support of the state's maritime trans ...
at the Wilson-Leonard Brushy Creek Site (an ancient
Native American campsite) during the construction of the highway RM 1431. Scientists described the location as "one of the oldest intact human burial sites discovered in the United States." The land, once donated to the Archaeological Conservancy, was returned to its previous owners after a lengthy legal battle. Leanne's remains and artifacts from the site are kept at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory in Austin.
Analysis
Carbon dating and stratigraphic analysis showed the remains to be 10,000 to 13,000 years old. The skeleton is of a tall female who was about 18 to 30 years old at the time of death. The find was significant as one of the oldest and most complete human skeletons found in North America.
See also
*
Minnesota Woman
References
External links
Leanne's Burial
{{Pre-Columbian North America
1983 archaeological discoveries
1983 in Texas
People from Cedar Park, Texas
People from Leander, Texas
Unsolved deaths in Texas
Williamson County, Texas