A novel Neanderthal hearth configuration has reportedly been unearthed by archaeologists at Gibraltar’s Vanguard Cave. This structural element aligns with theoretical projections necessitating the employment of thermal apparatuses for the extraction of birch tar, a substance frequently utilized in hafting applications. The investigative team postulates that the hearth served the purpose of heating rockroses within an anoxic atmosphere, achieved through the combustion of herbs and shrubs layered atop a substrate of guano mingled with sand.
The Neanderthal hearth structure could have been made following these steps. Image credit: Ochando et al., doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109025.
“The command and application of fire would have conferred significant adaptive benefits upon Homo species, potentially even influencing their evolutionary trajectory,” stated Clive Finlayson of the Gibraltar National Museum, alongside his colleagues.
“Evidence suggests the fabrication of fire technologies has been prevalent since approximately 400,000 years ago and continues to the present, with its origins likely extending even further back in time.”
“Various research endeavors have emphasized the capacity of Neanderthals to generate, preserve, and convey fire.”
“Primary utilizations for fire have historically been associated with providing warmth, illumination, and the means for food preparation.”
“Nevertheless, its application may also be linked to the genesis of novel technological advancements,” they further elaborated.
“These innovations could encompass the deliberate thermal modification of lithic artifacts, the treatment of wood for durability, smoking applications, and the creation of composite implements, such as affixing stone flakes to wooden components using adhesives derived from the distillation of birch bark and conifer resins.”
“Additional technological breakthroughs attributed to Neanderthals include the construction of subterranean pits and the broadened spectrum of fuel sources employed, incorporating various common flora, liquid hydrocarbons, and lignites.”
“However, botanical materials represent the most prevalent fuel category, thus it is anticipated that Neanderthals engaged in selection processes, choosing from the array of available plant resources in their environment, whether proximate or more distant.”
The distinct thermal installation identified by the research cadre at Vanguard Cave illuminates a hitherto unrecognized method by which Neanderthals managed and utilized fire.
Dating between 68,000 and 61,000 years old, this structure is consistent with the steam distillation of essential oils from rockroses to yield tar, a hafting agent whose prior use by Neanderthals has been substantiated.
The researchers conducted empirical tests to validate their hypothesis by constructing a facility possessing morphological and chemical characteristics mirroring that excavated from the cave.
The distillation of a modest collection of young rockrose leaves over a reasonable duration within an enclosed, near-anoxic environment successfully produced a quantity of tar sufficient for hafting two spear points, utilizing only tools and materials indigenous to the locale.
“Neanderthals must have navigated a series of cognitive steps, carefully selecting specific plant species and devising methods to extract resin without causing combustion,” remarked Dr. Finlayson.
“Our extinct relatives were far from the brutish figures often depicted in popular narratives,” commented Dr. Fernando Muñiz, an archaeologist affiliated with the University of Seville.
“This hominin species has demonstrated sophisticated cognitive capabilities, as evidenced by research revealing their proficiency in industrial processes for manufacturing resin adhesives to secure stone points onto spear shafts.”
The findings of this discovery are detailed in a publication within the journal Quaternary Science Reviews.
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Juan Ochando et al. 2024. A Neanderthal’s specialised burning structure compatible with tar obtention. Quaternary Science Reviews 346: 109025; doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109025
