Glue was used in prehistoric times by Neanderthals

The use of glue is not limited to modernity, let alone art education lessons, according to archaeologists. In the Middle Paleolithic, a period that occurred between 120,000 and 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals used a mixture of ocher and bitumen as glue to build tools.

The use of sticky and adhesive materials is an important sign of complex cognition and cultural evolution. Until then, these prehistoric humans were not thought to have such highly developed abilities.

In the latest study, researchers from New York University (USA) and the University of Tübingen (Germany) reviewed archaeological finds made at a site in France, known as Le Moustier, in the 1960s.

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Because Neanderthal tools were carefully packed, the current team was able to analyze the composition of the sticky organic material used.

What is the glue recipe?

Published in the magazine Advancement of scienceThe study revealed that the adhesive used by Neanderthals consisted of ochre, a natural earth pigment.

The other part of the glue consists of bitumen. This is a common component of asphalt and can be produced from crude oil, but it can also occur naturally in soil.

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German researcher Patrick Schmidt says in a note: “We were surprised that the percentage of ocher was higher than 50%.” In an effort to understand the reason for this ratio, the team conducted laboratory tests, where they were able to discover what the glue looked like and how useful it was in each type of formulation.

In the composition that prefers the use of ochre, the adhesive mass is elastic. In these cases, it can be used to attach a stone tool, but it will not “grab” the hand of the person using it.

Another point is that in the French region where the archaeological site was found, ocher and bitumen are not widely available. This indicates that Neanderthals collected them from distant places, which required effort and planning.

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Use of glue by Neanderthals

The use of multicomponent adhesives was previously known as a skill of modern humans in Africa, but was not associated with Neanderthals in Europe.

“What our study shows is that the first Homo sapiens “Neanderthals in Africa and Neanderthals in Europe had similar thought patterns,” Schmidt says. “Their adhesive techniques are equally important to our understanding of human evolution,” he adds.

More recently, it was discovered that Neanderthals also used primitive forms of aspirin and antibiotics for their health.

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source: Advancement of science that it New york university