Neanderthals Created Stone Tools Held Together by Ochre-Based Adhesives, Scientists Say

Feb 21, 2024 by News Staff

Archaeologists have found traces of ancient ochre-based multicomponent adhesives on 40,000-year-old stone tools from Le Moustier, France.



Photographs, drawings, and details of stone tools from Le Moustier, France. Image credit: D. Greinert / Schmidt et al., doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adl0822.


“These astonishingly well-preserved tools showcase a technical solution broadly similar to examples of tools made by early modern humans in Africa, but the exact recipe reflects a Neanderthal ‘spin,’ which is the production of grips for handheld tools,” said Dr. Radu Iovita, a researcher with the Center for the Study of Human Origins at New York University.

In the research, Dr. Iovita and colleagues examined stone tools with traces of red and yellow colorants from Le Moustier, an archaeological site in France that was discovered in the early 20th century.

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These stone tools were created by Neanderthals during the Middle Paleolithic period between 120,000 and 40,000 years ago.
They are kept in the collection of Berlin’s Museum of Prehistory and Early History and had not previously been examined in detail.

“The items had been individually wrapped and untouched since the 1960s. As a result, the adhering remains of organic substances were very well preserved,” said Dr. Ewa Dutkiewicz, a researcher with Berlin’s Museum of Prehistory and Early History.

More:
https://www.sci.news/archaeology/neanderthal-ochre-based-adhesives-12710.html