A fire pit believed to be 60,000 years old has provided significant evidence of Neanderthals’ capability to produce tar, a key material for creating tools and weapons. The discovery revealed a unique trench design employed to extract tar from the rockrose plant (Cistus ladanifer), which was used to secure stone tools to wooden handles, showcasing a level of technological skill that had not been fully appreciated before.
Use of Fire by Neanderthals Explored
The findings were published in the journal Quaternary Scientific Reviews. Juan Ochando, a plant biology professor at the University of Murcia in Spain, remarked that this marks the first documented instance of Neanderthals utilizing Cistus ladanifer for tar production. The unexpected nature of this discovery highlights the complex behavioral traits of Neanderthals.
While the usage of fire by Neanderthals for fundamental tasks like cooking and heating has been extensively recorded, evidence from this site suggests a more sophisticated application, particularly in tar production. Chemical and geological examinations of the fire pit revealed its intricate construction, which included various layers of minerals, guano, and plant matter. Such complexity points to a high level of organization in their activities.
Tar Production Process Reconstructed
Researchers aimed to unravel the tar production technique employed by Neanderthals by recreating the fire pit and hypothesizing the process they used. Initially, the leaves of the rockrose were placed in the base of the trench, followed by a combination of soil and sand, topped with guano. Fire was ignited with dry grasses. Once the fire cooled, tar was harvested from beneath a solidified crust. Within four hours, the process yielded usable tar, which successfully attached a stone tool to a wooden shaft.
Adaptation to Resources Identified
This fire pit underscores Neanderthals’ ability to adapt to their surroundings by leveraging readily available resources. Given the likely abundance of rockrose in the area, it served as a suitable substitute for birch, another plant historically tied to tar production. The findings suggest that these layered fire pits are indicative of the intentional and skilled crafting of tools and weapons, further affirming the advanced technological prowess of Neanderthals.
