Skip to main content

neanderthal tar production gibraltar cave

Unveiling Neanderthal Innovation: Adhesive Production Found in Gibraltar Cave

Excavation of Neanderthal tar distillation oven in Vanguard Cave, Gibraltar, revealing ancient tar production techniques.

Discovery of an Ancient Neanderthal Manufacturing Center

Carved into the cliffs of Gibralter, a cave entrance opens onto a site dating back 65,000 years—a Neanderthal tar distillation oven, one of the earliest manufacturing centers on Earth.

Sophisticated Health Structure in Vanguard Cave

Researchers from the University of Murcia have uncovered a sophisticated Neanderthal hearth structure in Vanguard Cave. Middle Paleolithic stone tools and plant residues indicate that Neanderthals utilized rockrose (Cistaceae) to produce tar, highlighting their advanced fire managements skills and technological expertise.

The Role of Fire in Neanderthal Technology

Neanderthals employed fire for various purposes, including warmth, light, cooking, landscape management, and extracting adhesive tar from selected plants and trees. The composition of tar residues on tools provides evidence of their fire-based tar extraction methods.

Neanderthal Adhesive Use in Tool-Making

The use of tar as an adhesive for hafting stone tools to wooden handles signifies a pivotal advancement in tool-making, occurring over 100,000 years before its application by modern humans.

Theories and Challenges in Tar Extraction Techniques

Previous reconstructions of Neanderthal tar extraction techniques point to the possible use of underground fire pits, yet no direct evidence of these structures has been uncovered.

New Study on Neanderthal Tar Production in Vanguard Cave

The study, titled 'A Neanderthal's specialized burning structure compatible with obtention,' published in Quaternary Science Reviews, examines a hearth pit in Vanguard Cave using geochemical, mineralogical, palynological, and micromorphological analyses.

Discovery of a Specialized Hearth Pit

The researchers uncovered a central fire pit flanked by two trenches, featuring crust of thermally altered rocks and sediment, consistent with prolonged fire use. This configuration supports theoretical models for specialized low-oxygen heating systems used in tar production.

Geochemical and Micromorphological Findings

Identification of Key Biomarkers in the Hearth Structure

anthropogenic structure have been made following steps.

Organic geochemical studies identified levoglucosan and notable levels of retene int he structure's matrix, both linked to the burning of resinous plants. Lipid analysis further revealed odd-carbon-numbered n-alkanes and even-carbon-numbered n-alkanols, biomarkers characteristic of fresh leaf waxes from plants such as rockrose.

Charcoal Analysis and Pollen Findings

Charcoal analysis revealed partially vitrified fragments from plants in the Cistaceae (rockrose) family, indicating incomplete combustion under controlled conditions. Conifer wood accounted for less than 10% of the charcoal.

Palynological analysis revealed a high concentration of pollen grains within the structure, while the surrounding sediments showed no pollen, indicating that Neanderthals deliberately introduced plant matter into the hearth.

Micromorphological Insights into Controlled Heating

Micromorphological analysis revealed no signs of clay heating beyond 500°C, suggesting that the structure was employed for controlled, low-temperature processes suitable for tar production.

Strategic Construction for Efficient Tar Distillation

The carbonate rocks within the structure appear to have been strategically placed, likely to form a seal made of guano and sand, which would create the low-oxygen environment necessary for efficient tar distillation.

Experimental Validation of Neanderthal Tar Extraction Methods

To validate their hypothesis, the research team carried out an experimental archaeology project, constructing a similar structure and heating rockrose leaves under low-oxygen conditions. The experiment successfully generated enough tar to haft stone spearheads, using only tools and materials available to Neanderthals in the region.

Implications for Neanderthal Cognitive Sophistication

Results indicate that Neanderthals systematically organized fire-based activities by creating specialized heaths for tar extraction, supporting the notion of their cognitive sophistication and cultural development, as evidenced by their use of manufactured tools.

Source


Stay updated on the latest archaeological breakthrough and technological discoveries-subscribe to our newsletter today!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NASA chile scientists comet 3i atlas nickel mystery

NASA and Chilean Scientists Study 3I/ATLAS, A Comet That Breaks the Rules Interstellar visitors are rare guests in our Solar System , but when they appear they often rewrite the rules of astronomy. Such is the case with 3I/ATLAS , a fast-moving object that has left scientists puzzled with its bizarre behaviour. Recent findings from NASA and Chilean researchers reveal that this comet-like body is expelling an unusual plume of nickel — without the iron that typically accompanies it. The discovery challenges conventional wisdom about how comets form and evolve, sparking both excitement and controversy across the scientific community. A Cosmic Outsider: What Is 3I/ATLAS? The object 3I/ATLAS —the third known interstellar traveler after "Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019) —was first detected in July 2025 by the ATLAS telescope network , which scans he skies for potentially hazardous objects. Earlier images from Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory had unknowingly captured it, but ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Quantum neural algorithms for creating illusions

Quantum Neural Networks and Optical Illusions: A New Era for AI? Introduction At first glance, optical illusions, quantum mechanics, and neural networks may appear unrelated. However, my recent research in APL Machine Learning Leverages "quantum tunneling" to create a neural network that perceives optical illusions similarly to humans. Neural Network Performance The neural network I developed successfully replicated human perception of the Necker cube and Rubin's vase illusions, surpassing the performance of several larger, conventional neural networks in computer vision tasks. This study may offer new perspectives on the potential for AI systems to approximate human cognitive processes. Why Focus on Optical Illusions? Understanding Visual Perception O ptical illusions mani pulate our visual  perce ption,  presenting scenarios that may or may not align with reality. Investigating these illusions  provides valuable understanding of brain function and dysfunction, inc...
Post a Comment
Read more

fractal universe cosmic structure mandelbrot

Is the Universe a Fractal? Unraveling the Patterns of Nature The Cosmic Debate: Is the Universe a Fractal? For decades, cosmologists have debated whether the universe's large-scale structure exhibits fractal characteristics — appearing identical across scales. The answer is nuanced: not entirely, but in certain res pects, yes. It's a com plex matter. The Vast Universe and Its Hierarchical Structure Our universe is incredibly vast, com prising a p proximately 2 trillion galaxies. These galaxies are not distributed randomly but are organized into hierarchical structures. Small grou ps ty pically consist of u p to a dozen galaxies. Larger clusters contain thousands, while immense su perclusters extend for millions of light-years, forming intricate cosmic  patterns. Is this where the story comes to an end? Benoit Mandelbrot and the Introduction of Fractals During the mid-20th century, Benoit Mandelbrot introduced fractals to a wider audience . While he did not invent the conce pt —...
Post a Comment
Read more