In a new study that analyzed prehistoric artifacts that were recently rediscovered in a Berlin Museum, researchers were able to extract new insights that suggest Neanderthals had the means and capabilities to produce an ancient type of glue using two natural compounds.
This opens up new notions regarding the ancient hominins and their cognitive abilities, especially in the realm of "engineering."
The set of adhesive covered stone tools, which were initially found in an archaeological site in Dordogne, France in 1910.
How the 'Glue' Discovery was Made
The study was published last Wednesday, Feb. 21, in the Science Advances journal and comprised a team of researchers from New York University, the University of Tübingen, and the National Museums in Berlin.
In a statement quoted by CNN, the study's lead researcher from the University of Tübingen's Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology section, Patrick Schmidt, explained that the Neanderthals' ability to make the adhesive provides a "window" into their "way of thinking."
The stone artifacts were originally found back in 1910 at an archaeological site called Le Moustier, located in Dordogne, France. Experts believe that the tools were utilized 40,000 to 120,000 years ago.
The prehistoric tools were largely untouched since the 1960s, as all of them were preserved and individually encased in protective layers at Berlin's Museum of Prehistory and Early History. They were only brought back into the "light" following an internal audit of the institution's collection.
Upon their examination, Schmidt and his fellow researchers found traces of organic residue in the tools, including a natural earth pigment called ocher and a soil-based pigment called bitumen.
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What the Prehistoric Glue Represents
For now, accurate and pinpointed dating is not possible, however, Schmidt explained that through the cross-referencing of information extracted from the Neanderthal remains and other similar-looking tools found in a lower shelter from the French site, they were able to approximate the artifacts' age to hover around 40,000 to 60,000 years old.
The lead researcher continued by saying that it is "very probable" that the tools were made and used by Neanderthals, one of our closest relatives as humans who vanished some 40,000 years ago in the same area around the same time.
As per the study, the main use of the adhesives was to improve the handling of the tools in terms of their "solidity and rigidity" to support the user's overall grip of the "cutting or scraping tools."
All in all, this momentous revelation means that the Neanderthals "acted as early engineers creating materials according to their needs," according to Schmidt.
He added that due to geographical challenges presented in gathering the necessary materials for making the adhesive, the grip substance presented a "high value" for the craftsmen.
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