Study finds Neanderthal birch tar had antibacterial properties

A new study suggests that Neanderthals may have used birch tar, a substance long known as a prehistoric glue, to treat wounds and fight bacterial infections. Researchers from the University of Cologne, the University of Oxford, the University of Liège, and Cape Breton University in Canada recreated ancient production techniques and tested the resulting tar for antibacterial properties.

Recreating Ancient Production Methods

Birch tar is a sticky substance obtained by heating birch bark. Archaeologists have frequently found traces of it at Neanderthal sites across Europe, often attached to stone tools, leading to the belief that it was primarily used for hafting—attaching stone blades to wooden handles.

To investigate whether the material had other uses, the research team produced birch tar using tree species present during the Neanderthal era. They avoided modern industrial processes, instead using techniques reconstructed from archaeological evidence. These methods included:

• Dry distillation: Placing birch bark inside a sealed underground pit and heating it with little or no oxygen.
• Surface condensation: Burning birch bark near a solid surface, such as a stone, allowing tar vapors to condense into a sticky residue.

Antibacterial Activity Against Modern Pathogens

The study, published in PLOS One, tested the samples against Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium commonly associated with wound infections. The results showed that every type of birch tar produced, regardless of the extraction technique, was able to inhibit the growth of this bacterium.

Staphylococcus aureus is significant in modern medicine because some strains have developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, causing difficult-to-treat hospital-acquired infections. The consistency of the antibacterial activity across different production methods suggests that the bacteria-inhibiting properties were inherent to the material rather than dependent on a specific manufacturing process.

Tjaark Siemssen of the University of Cologne and Oxford University, who led the study, noted the implications of these findings. "The findings suggest that antimicrobial properties played a role as far back as the time of the early Neanderthals and could have been used in a targeted manner," Siemssen said.

Implications for Modern Medicine

While the experiments do not prove that Neanderthals actually applied birch tar to wounds, they demonstrate that the material they were capable of producing had properties that could have made it useful for medical care. This aligns with growing evidence of medicinal practices and plant use among Neanderthals.

The researchers suggest that the discovery may have relevance for contemporary medicine, particularly in the context of rising antibiotic resistance. "Our findings show that it might be worthwhile to examine targeted antibiotics from ethnographic contexts - or, as in this case, from prehistoric contexts - in greater depth," Siemssen concluded.

However, the study cautions that the ability to inhibit bacteria in laboratory experiments does not necessarily mean that birch tar would be safe or effective as a treatment for human wounds. Further research is required to evaluate any potential medical applications.

Why it matters

This research expands the understanding of Neanderthal behavior, suggesting they may have exploited natural materials for purposes beyond toolmaking. It highlights the potential value of investigating traditional and prehistoric substances for modern medical challenges, such as antibiotic resistance, while emphasizing the need for rigorous scientific validation before any practical application.

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Sources

• sciencedaily.com: Neanderthals may have used prehistoric glue as an ancient antibiotic | ScienceDaily
• news.ssbcrack.com: Neanderthals Used Birch Tar for Medicine, Study Finds - SSBCrack News

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.