Sasquatch Chronicles Blog

Knewz writes “Vanguard Cave, a part of Gorham’s Cave complex in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar revealed the excavation of a peculiar artifact at this hotspot for archaeologists to learn about Neanderthals.

The item was examined to figure out certain mechanics in its operation that could prove to be useful in creating some kind of pre-historic glue . A glue which, upon research and assumptions, could have been used for attaching parts of weapons onto each other such as a handle to the head of an axe. A hearth structure was unearthed by researchers in the caverns of this cave by the Mediterranean waters, believed to be the last known region of habitation before the Neanderthals went extinct in Europe.

The layer of sediment that covered the structure dated around 67,000 to 60,000 years old and the structure looked visibly hand-made. Further research aided in the finding that the structure was used to create a kind of birch tar, a substance that was used by ancient humans in their version of modern-day hafting, a process in weapons making. This conclusion was made by understanding the elements of the structure better. The structure was circular with two different channels and a thick wall lining within, which hinted at the item being more complex than a typical cooking fire pit, as reported by Live Science .

Knewz.com noted that the researchers also examined the compound of the structure which revealed that the hearth was dotted with chemical traces, which suggested the ignition of plant materials that were resinous and released liquid substances. It also included traces of charred wood and fragments of ash along with plant materials and residues of compounds that were often linked to the production of tar or glue from plants like the birch bark or something similar, which led the researchers to assume that the structure was used for the combustion of flowering plants like rockroses (Cistaceae) under conditions that lack oxygen by burning herbs and shrubs.

Museum uncovers 60,000-year-old tar extraction site at Vanguard Cave

To back up their evidence and findings, the team attempted to build a similar structure and experimented to figure out if they could cook up some birch tar. “Distilling a small bunch of young leaves of rockrose for a reasonable period in a closed and almost anoxic environment enabled to produce tar that was more than enough to haft two spearheads, using only tools and materials available in the area for the period in reference,” the study authors stated, according to IFL Science.

This discovery led the researchers to revisit the previous idea about Neanderthals and their intelligence as the process of creating a glue-like substance from raw materials and then using it to assemble complex tools could prove to be evidence of Neanderthals being more intelligent than once presumed, proved by a cave full of evidence that showed sharp intelligence, intricate cultural practices, and profound emotional depth. Anthropologists weighed in on the matter and commented that this species must have had a basic understanding of combustion and chemistry other than a strong level of cooperation and communication that showed a better social engagement, aspects which have been detailed in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews.”