Neanderthals may have used prehistoric glue as an ancient antibiotic

Neanderthals may have used a sticky substance made from tree bark not only to construct tools but also to treat wounds and fight bacterial infections. Scientists have discovered that birch tar, a material commonly associated with prehistoric toolmaking, has antibacterial properties that could have made it useful as an ancient form of medicine.

The findings come from a study conducted by researchers at the University of Cologne, the University of Oxford, the University of Li ge, and Cape Breton University in Canada. By recreating techniques believed to have been used by Neanderthals, the team produced birch tar and tested its ability to inhibit harmful bacteria.

Their results suggest that this prehistoric adhesive may have served a second, previously overlooked purpose: helping protect wounds from infection.

The research was published in PLOS One under the title "Antibacterial properties of experimentally produced birch tar and its medicinal affordances in the Pleistocene."