Neanderthals, our ancient human relatives, may have been more skilled in health care than we once thought.
A new study suggests that they could have used a sticky substance called birch tar not just to make tools, but also to treat wounds and fight infections.
Birch tar is a dark, glue-like material made by heating the bark of birch trees. Archaeologists have often found it at Neanderthal sites, where it was mainly believed to be used as an adhesive to hold tools together.
However, scientists have started to wonder if it had other uses as well, especially in medicine.
The new research, published in the journal PLOS One, was led by Tjaark Siemssen and a team from the University of Cologne in Germany and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
The researchers wanted to test whether birch tar could actually help stop infections.
To do this, they recreated how Neanderthals might have made birch tar thousands of years ago.
They used bark from birch trees similar to those found at ancient sites and tried different simple methods, such as heating the bark in a clay pit or letting tar collect on a stone surface.
These methods do not require advanced tools, meaning Neanderthals could have easily used them.
After producing the tar, the team tested it against bacteria, including a type called Staphylococcus, which is known to cause wound infections. The results were clear. All the birch tar samples slowed down the growth of these harmful bacteria. This suggests that birch tar could have worked as a natural antibacterial treatment.
This finding is especially interesting because some Indigenous communities in northern Europe and Canada have long used birch tar to treat wounds. The study supports these traditional practices and raises the possibility that Neanderthals discovered similar benefits on their own.
The researchers believe that birch tar may have had several uses for Neanderthals. Besides helping to fix tools, it could have been applied to cuts or injuries to prevent infection. It might also have worked as an insect repellent, offering even more protection in harsh environments.
These discoveries add to growing evidence that Neanderthals were not simple or primitive, but capable of complex thinking and problem-solving. They may have understood how to use natural materials around them to improve their health and survival.
The study also highlights an interesting connection to modern science. As antibiotic resistance becomes a growing global problem, researchers are looking again at natural substances for new treatments. Studying ancient practices like this, sometimes called “palaeopharmacology,” may help scientists rediscover useful remedies from the past.
Making birch tar, however, was not easy. The process was messy and involved working with fire and sticky materials. The researchers even noted that removing the tar from their hands after experiments was a challenge. Still, this hands-on work helped them better understand the skills Neanderthals may have had.
Overall, this research paints a richer picture of Neanderthal life. Far from being simple tool users, they may have also been early healers, using nature to protect themselves long before modern medicine existed.
Source: KSR.
