Neanderthals may have used prehistoric glue as an ancient antibiotic

Recent research suggests that Neanderthals utilized birch tar—a substance traditionally viewed as prehistoric adhesive—for its medicinal properties. By replicating ancient production methods to extract the tar, scientists discovered that the resulting substance exhibits potent antibacterial qualities. These findings indicate that birch tar could have been effectively used to treat wounds and skin infections, predating the modern development of antibiotics by thousands of years. This discovery shifts our understanding of Neanderthal technology from mere utility to the deliberate application of chemical properties for health and hygiene. The study highlights the sophisticated survival strategies of early hominins, suggesting they possessed a nuanced knowledge of the natural environment and its medicinal potential to manage infection risks in their prehistoric landscape.