Neanderthals May Have Produced Plant Adhesives in Gibraltar Over 60,000 Years Ago

An exciting discovery in Gibraltar’s Vanguard Cave suggests that Neanderthals may have been crafting plant adhesives around 60,000 years ago. Led by Fernando Muñiz from the University of Seville, an international team of researchers uncovered a pit that could have been used for producing resin-based adhesives. This finding sheds new light on the sophistication of Neanderthal tool-making and their ability to manipulate plant materials.

Previous research had suggested that Neanderthals might have produced birch pitch through open-air combustion of birch bark. However, this process would have been inefficient. Instead, the researchers propose an alternative method involving the burial of birch chips and heating them to release resin without burning it. In the case of the pit at Vanguard Cave, the team discovered geochemical evidence and fossil pollen that pointed to prickly rockrose as the primary resin source.

Further analysis revealed that the pit had been sealed with a layer of guano mixed with sand before being heated, indicating a careful and controlled process. The researchers were able to reconstruct the pit and recreate the complex steps involved in making adhesives, highlighting the advanced thought processes of Neanderthals. As Clive Finlayson, a team member from The Gibraltar National Museum and Liverpool John Moores University, explained, “Neanderthals had to go through a series of thought processes, choosing which plants to select and figuring out how to extract resin without burning them.”

This discovery underscores the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Neanderthals, suggesting that they were capable of more complex behaviors than previously understood. How do you think this new insight into Neanderthal tool-making might change our understanding of their cognitive abilities?