8 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Neanderthals used glue to make stone tools 40,000 years ago, a new study suggests “Earliest evidence of a multi-component adhesive in Europe”

More than 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals in what is now France used a multi-component adhesive to make handles for stone tools. They produced a sophisticated mixture of ochre and bitumen, two raw materials that had to be procured from the wider region. This is the earliest discovery of a multi-component adhesive in Europe to date.

This complex adhesive found on Neanderthal stone tools has given researchers new insights into the intelligence of this extinct human species.

The work, reported in the journal Science Advances, included researchers from New York University, the University of Tübingen, and the National Museums in Berlin.

Under the direction of Dr. Patrick Schmidt from the University of Tübingen’s Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology section and Dr. Ewa Dutkiewicz from the Museum of Prehistory and Early History at the National Museums in Berlin, researchers re-examined finds from the Neanderthal site of Le Moustier in the Dordogne for evidence of prehistoric glues.

The development of adhesives and their use in the manufacture of tools is considered to be some of the best material evidence of the cultural evolution and cognitive abilities of early humans.

“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,” says Radu Iovita, an associate professor at NYU’s Center for the Study of Human Origins.

The stone tools from Le Moustier are kept in the collection of the Museum of Prehistory and Early History and had not previously been examined in detail.

A stone tool glued into a handle made of liquid bitumen with the addition of 55 percent ochre. It is no longer sticky and can be handled easily. Image courtesy of Patrick Schmidt, University of Tübingen

The Swiss archaeologist Otto Hauser recovered them in 1907 from the upper rock shelter at Le Moustier, which was used by Neanderthals during the Middle Palaeolithic period of the Moustérien between 120,000 and 40,000 years ago. They were rediscovered during an internal review of the collection and their scientific value was recognized.

“The items had been individually wrapped and untouched since the 1960s. As a result, the adhering remains of organic substances were very well preserved,” says Ewa Dutkiewicz.

Remains of ochre and bitumen on stone tools

The researchers discovered traces of a mixture of ochre and bitumen on several stone tools, such as scrapers, flakes and blades. Ochre is a naturally occurring earth pigment. Bitumen is a component of asphalt and can be produced from crude oil, but also occurs naturally in the soil. “We were surprised that the ochre content was more than 50 percent. This is because air-dried bitumen can be used unaltered as an adhesive, but loses its adhesive properties when such large proportions of ochre are added,” says Schmidt. He and his team tested this in tensile tests and with experimentally produced reference material.

Liquid bitumen and the earth pigment ochre prior to mixing. Image courtesy of Patrick Schmidt, University of Tübingen.
Liquid bitumen and the earth pigment ochre prior to mixing. Image courtesy of Patrick Schmidt, University of Tübingen.

“It was different when we used liquid bitumen, which is not really suitable for gluing. If 55 percent ochre is added, a malleable mass is formed,” he says. It is only just sticky enough for a stone tool to remain stuck in it, but the hands stay clean – so it is a good material for a handle. “A microscopic examination of the use-wear traces on these stone tools, carried out in collaboration with New York University, revealed that the adhesives on the tools from Le Moustier were used in this way,” according to the researchers.

Targeted approach

The use of adhesives with several components, including various sticky substances such as tree resins and ochre, was previously known from early modern humans, Homo sapiens, in Africa but not from European Neanderthals. “Compound adhesives are considered to be among the first expressions of the modern cognitive processes that are still active today,” says Schmidt.

In the Le Moustier region, ochre and bitumen had to be collected from distant locations, which meant a great deal of effort, planning and a targeted approach. “Taking into account the overall context of the finds, we assume that this adhesive material was made by Neanderthals,” says Dutkiewicz. “What our study shows is that early Homo sapiens in Africa and Neanderthals in Europe had similar thought patterns,” says Schmidt. “Their adhesive technologies have the same significance for our understanding of human evolution.”

https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl0822

Cover Photo: An artist’s reconstruction shows how a Neanderthal could hold a stone artifact with an adhesive handle. Daniela Greiner

Related Articles

Brick tombs dating from the Jin Dynasty have been unearthed in Shanxi Province

15 August 2021

15 August 2021

Archaeologists discovered two brick tombs at an old cemetery with 14 crypts in north China‘s Shanxi Province. The findings offer...

Central Turkey’s largest Byzantine mosaic structure found

28 October 2021

28 October 2021

A 300-square-meter (3,330 square feet) ​floor mosaic belonging to the Late Roman-Early Byzantine period was discovered during excavation work in...

Exceptional discovery of a fully frescoed chamber tomb dating back to the Republican and Imperial Roman ages

10 October 2023

10 October 2023

Waterworks in Giugliano, a suburb of Campania (Naples), have uncovered an untouched chamber tomb full of frescoes ceilings, and walls...

Lovingly gazing mosaics restored in Turkey’s Metropolis

16 October 2021

16 October 2021

In the ancient city of Metropolis in the Torbali district of the western Izmir province, mosaics portraying Eros, the Greek...

In northern Iran, a hand-dug passageway was discovered used for military purposes during the Qajar era

1 August 2021

1 August 2021

A hand-dug underground passage dating from the Qajar era (1794-1925), once believed to have served military purposes, has been discovered...

An imitation Arabic dinar discovered in Norfolk may have been made by Vikings

6 April 2023

6 April 2023

A gold disc struck with a fake inscription imitating an Arabic dinar found near Morston, Norfolk in April 2021 may...

New study reveals unique characteristics and complex origins of late Bronze Age swords discovered in the Balearic Islands

25 November 2024

25 November 2024

A recent study uncovered a wealth of new information regarding the production, material makeup, and cultural significance of Late Bronze...

1,500-year-old feast mosaic found in Turkey

2 February 2022

2 February 2022

A 50-square-meter mosaic depicting an open-air feast dating back 1,500 years ago was unearthed during excavations in the ancient city...

6,500-Year-Old Hunting Kit Discovered in West Texas Cave

5 April 2025

5 April 2025

A remarkable archaeological find in the rugged terrain of West Texas is transforming our understanding of the region’s prehistoric inhabitants....

2500-year-old Persian ancient palace dish discovered in Oluz Höyük, Türkiye

18 October 2023

18 October 2023

A 2,500-year-old earthenware pot containing bone fragments and grains from the Persian-era palace kitchen was discovered during archaeological excavations at...

9,000-Year-Old Rock Art Suggests Early Humans Interacted with Dinosaur Footprints

22 February 2025

22 February 2025

In Brazil, researchers have made an extraordinary discovery of ancient rock art dating back over 9,000 years, found alongside dinosaur...

The place of Puduhepa’s hometown Lawazantiya will be illuminated with Tatarlı Höyük

9 November 2021

9 November 2021

Excavations at Tatarlı Höyük (mound) are trying to reach findings that will enable the determination of the location of Lawazantiya,...

Archaeologists uncovered a kurgan tomb from a previously unknown culture

8 January 2023

8 January 2023

Archaeologists from the Siberian Federal University have unearthed a kurgan tomb and numerous bronze tools and artifacts from a previously...

New discoveries in Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe: A Human statue with a realistic facial expression found in Karahantepe

30 September 2023

30 September 2023

New finds were discovered in Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe. At around 12,000 years old, Göbekli Tepe is the world’s oldest megalithic...

Małopolskie Region Reveals Oldest Evidence of Metal Mining in Poland, Dating Back 1,000 Years Earlier Than Previously Thought

16 February 2025

16 February 2025

Researchers have uncovered the oldest confirmed evidence of metal ore mining and metallurgy in Poland through the study of lead...