Neanderthals made glue 40 thousand years ago – research – News

Neanderthals made glue 40 thousand years ago

National Museum in Berlin

Neanderthals, who lived in the territory of modern France more than 40 thousand years ago, used a multi-component glue made of ocher and bitumen in the manufacture of handles for stone tools.

This is the earliest discovery of a multicomponent adhesive in Europe, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.

The discovery was made by scientists from New York and Tübingen universities, as well as the National Museum in Berlin, writes Arkeonews.

According to scientists, the glue found on Neanderthal stone tools has given researchers new information about the intelligence of this extinct human species.

The development of adhesives and their use in the production of tools is considered one of the best material evidences of the cultural evolution and cognitive abilities of early humans.

Stone tools from the archaeological era of the Paleolithic culture are kept in the collection of the Museum of Prehistoric and Early History. They have not been studied in detail before.

Swiss archaeologist Otto Hauser found these tools in 1907 in a rock shelter used by Neanderthals during the Middle Paleolithic period – between 120,000 and 40,000 years ago. They were rediscovered during an internal review of the collection – then scientists recognized their scientific value.

“The items have been individually wrapped and untouched since the 1960s. The remains of organic substances stuck to them are very well preserved”, says Dr. Eva Dutkevych from the Historical Museum in Berlin.

The researchers found ocher and bitumen residues on several stone tools, including scrapers, scales and blades.

“We were surprised that the ocher content was over 50%. Air-dried bitumen can be used unchanged as an adhesive, but it loses its adhesive properties when such large proportions of ocher are added.”, says Dr. Patrick Schmidt from the University of Tübingen.

The use of multi-component adhesives, such as wood resins and ocher, by early humans was also known. However, the information mainly concerned the inhabitants of Africa, but not the European Neanderthals.

“Complex glues are considered to be one of the first manifestations of modern cognitive processes. Our research shows that early humans Homo sapiens in Africa and Neanderthals in Europe had similar patterns of thinking. Their “glue technologies” are important to our understanding of human evolution”, concludes Schmidt.

It will be recalled that archaeologists in Spain found evidence of cannibalism among Neanderthals who lived more than 53,000 years ago.