10 July 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

Radiocarbon dating shows that the Roman settlement of Karanis survived in Egypt until the Arab Conquest in the 7th century AD

13 May 2024

13 May 2024

New research results are rewriting the history of Karanis, an ancient Greco-Roman agricultural settlement in the Fayum oasis in Egypt....

A 3,400-year-old Pyramid from the Scythian-Saka period found in Karaganda region of Kazakhstan

2 November 2023

2 November 2023

A pyramid belonging to the Scythian-Saka period was found in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan. Experts announced that the Karajartas...

Mystery of the 1,700-year-old Mosaic Solved: The Medallion in the Mosaic uncovered to be the Symbol of a Roman Military Unit

10 August 2024

10 August 2024

The mystery of the 1,700-year-old mosaic, which was found during excavations in Amasya province in northern Turkey 11 years ago...

Assyrian Art at Getty Villa

22 June 2021

22 June 2021

The Getty Villa in Malibu, California’s arts complex is showcasing superbly-restored gypsum reliefs from the Assyrian Empire’s palaces for its...

New Research Uncovers Earliest Evidence of Humans in Rainforests, Pushing Timeline Back 150,000 Years

3 March 2025

3 March 2025

The rainforests, as important biomes on earth, were considered uninhabited until recent history. New findings now show that humans lived...

New study investigates the development of the Scandinavian gene pool over the latest 2000 years

5 January 2023

5 January 2023

A new study resolves the complex relations between geography, ancestry, and gene flow in Scandinavia – encompassing the Roman Age,...

Rare Elizabethan ship discovered at a quarry

2 January 2023

2 January 2023

An Elizabethan ship in “remarkable condition” has been discovered on the lake bed of a Kent quarry, one of only...

A 3,600-Year-Old Bronze Minoan Dagger Discovered in Antalya Underwater Excavation

29 August 2024

29 August 2024

A bronze dagger with silver rivets that dates to the Minoan civilization approximately 3,600 years ago was discovered during an...

Rare Langsax fighting blade with Viking origins discovered in Poland

20 August 2021

20 August 2021

Archaeologists working in the Wdecki Landscape Park in Poland’s Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship have discovered a rare langsax long knife with potential...

Ancient Jordanian town referred to as Heshbon in the Old Testament provides insight into regional agricultural history

20 January 2022

20 January 2022

The American archaeologist stated that Tell Hisban, located on the Madaba plains of Jordan, represents the “granary of the empires”....

Name of Iranian city identified on 1800-year-old Sassanid clay seal

9 April 2024

9 April 2024

In a stunning archaeological find, the name “Shiraz” was identified on a clay sealing from the Sassanid era written in...

6,000-year-old Finds in Dorset Downs

11 June 2021

11 June 2021

In the Dorset Downs, a significant landscaping project has revealed a plethora of intriguing findings on a grand scale. Excavations...

700-Year-Old Lord Vishnu’s Sculpture Washes Ashore on Pedda Rushikonda Beach

23 March 2025

23 March 2025

On a serene Friday evening, the tranquil shores of Pedda Rushikonda beach were disrupted by an extraordinary sight: a centuries-old...

What Did Mummies Smell Like in Ancient Egypt? The Surprisingly Pleasant Results Revealed

1 April 2025

1 April 2025

A groundbreaking study led by researchers from University College London’s Institute for Sustainable Heritage and the University of Ljubljana has...

The Amazon rainforest was once home to ancient cities – A vast network of 2,500-year-old garden cities

12 January 2024

12 January 2024

Aerial surveys have revealed the largest 2,500-year-old ancient cities in the Amazon, hidden for thousands of years by lush vegetation...