Modern humans’ ability to manufacture synthetic material has always given us cognitive advantage over other animals, as it requires conscious thinking, planning and comprehension of our actions to convert raw materials through a learned process. No shade intended, but the birch tar used by Neanderthals predates any tree resin and ocher adhesives that modern humans ( Homo sapiens) used in Africa by at least a 100,000 years. Putting two and two together, they figured that the early humans used the material for hafting - the process of attaching a bone, stone, or metal to a handle or strap.Īmazingly, the dark, sticky substance had been distilled from the bark of birch trees some 200,000 years ago, the researchers found. In fact, they even made jewellery out of beads, shells, feathers and other trinkets ( who would’ve thought the Neanderthals were material girls?).īut of all the Neanderthal paraphernalia that’s been recovered from their stoney lodgings, what is perhaps most fascinating is glue - and we’re talking synthetic, processed glue.Īrchaeologists first chanced upon tar-covered stones and black lumps in known Neanderthal sites across Europe roughly two decades ago. They buried their dead and produced artworks. While this may be hard to wrap your head around, these ancient humans weren’t nearly as rustic as one might think. However, we have since uncovered enough evidence to show that there was more to the cave dwellers than met the eye. For the longest time, our perception of the Neanderthals ( Homo neanderthalensis) that roamed Eurasia 200,000 to 40,000 years ago was limited to that of lumbering beasts with little intelligence and all the social skills of a schoolboy in his early teens.
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