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<p>Adhesives are central to debates on the cognitive and technological capabilities of Neanderthals and modern humans. Spectrometric and chemical analyses suggest that Neanderthals relied primarily on birch bark tar, with some use of bitumen and conifer resin, whereas modern humans employed a broader range of materials, including resins, gums, tars, beeswax, and bitumen, sometimes mixed with inorganic additives. This evidence reveals a complex and varied technological landscape in which adhesive recipes were shaped by raw material availability, functional requirements, and cultural traditions. To explore Palaeolithic adhesive technology, we applied a multi-analytical approach—including optical and scanning electron microscopy, spectrometry, and chemical analyses—to lithic assemblages spanning the entire sequence of Morín Cave, northern Spain. This integrated protocol enabled us to distinguish modern contaminants from residues of probable archaeological origin and to suggest the presence of adhesives on a Châtelperronian and a Gravettian tool. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detected resin or tar from a <i>Cupressaceae</i> plant on the Châtelperronian point, while potential insect wax, plant wax, or bitumen was identified on the Gravettian tool. Together with earlier observations of possible adhesive residues at Morín (Bradtmöller et al.,&#xa0;<i>Journal of Archaeological Science</i>, 7:1-13, <CitationRef CitationID="CR16">2016</CitationRef>), these findings increase the number of chemically supported cases to four, making the site one of the few in Europe with potential adhesive evidence spanning multiple Palaeolithic technocomplexes. The residues are consistent with hafting applications, likely linked to projectile technology, though the degree of certainty varies. Although the limited number of identified residues and difficulties in precise characterisation prevent direct comparison of Neanderthal and modern human adhesive traditions at Morín Cave, our results provide insights into Palaeolithic adhesive use. More importantly, they demonstrate the potential of a multi-analytical methodology to disentangle ancient residues from modern contaminants and to advance the systematic study of prehistoric adhesive technologies.</p>

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The Needle in the Haystack: a Multi-Analytical Approach for the Identification of Palaeolithic Adhesive Residues at Morín Cave, Spain

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月3日

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  • Alessandro Aleo,
  • Marcel Bradtmöller,
  • Rivka Chasan,
  • Myrto Despotopoulou,
  • Luis Gómez Fernández,
  • Jesus Antonio Gonzalez Gomez,
  • Paul R. B. Kozowyk,
  • Fernando Rodríguez,
  • Geeske H. J. Langejans

摘要

Adhesives are central to debates on the cognitive and technological capabilities of Neanderthals and modern humans. Spectrometric and chemical analyses suggest that Neanderthals relied primarily on birch bark tar, with some use of bitumen and conifer resin, whereas modern humans employed a broader range of materials, including resins, gums, tars, beeswax, and bitumen, sometimes mixed with inorganic additives. This evidence reveals a complex and varied technological landscape in which adhesive recipes were shaped by raw material availability, functional requirements, and cultural traditions. To explore Palaeolithic adhesive technology, we applied a multi-analytical approach—including optical and scanning electron microscopy, spectrometry, and chemical analyses—to lithic assemblages spanning the entire sequence of Morín Cave, northern Spain. This integrated protocol enabled us to distinguish modern contaminants from residues of probable archaeological origin and to suggest the presence of adhesives on a Châtelperronian and a Gravettian tool. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detected resin or tar from a Cupressaceae plant on the Châtelperronian point, while potential insect wax, plant wax, or bitumen was identified on the Gravettian tool. Together with earlier observations of possible adhesive residues at Morín (Bradtmöller et al., Journal of Archaeological Science, 7:1-13, 2016), these findings increase the number of chemically supported cases to four, making the site one of the few in Europe with potential adhesive evidence spanning multiple Palaeolithic technocomplexes. The residues are consistent with hafting applications, likely linked to projectile technology, though the degree of certainty varies. Although the limited number of identified residues and difficulties in precise characterisation prevent direct comparison of Neanderthal and modern human adhesive traditions at Morín Cave, our results provide insights into Palaeolithic adhesive use. More importantly, they demonstrate the potential of a multi-analytical methodology to disentangle ancient residues from modern contaminants and to advance the systematic study of prehistoric adhesive technologies.