Birch Bark Glue and its Potential Use in Neanderthal Clothing: A Pilot Study
Evidence that Neanderthals had mastered the production of birch bark tar as an adhesive has generated important and timely debate concerning behavioural complexity. Increased resolution of the data on palaeo-climatic conditions has also brought into sharp focus the need for hominins living in high l...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
EXARC
2021-11-01
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| Series: | EXARC Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10608 |
| _version_ | 1826958711719985152 |
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| author | Phoebe Baker Christopher Scott Peter Gethin Anthony Sinclair |
| author_facet | Phoebe Baker Christopher Scott Peter Gethin Anthony Sinclair |
| author_sort | Phoebe Baker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Evidence that Neanderthals had mastered the production of birch bark tar as an adhesive has generated important and timely debate concerning behavioural complexity. Increased resolution of the data on palaeo-climatic conditions has also brought into sharp focus the need for hominins living in high latitudes to possess complex cultural mechanisms to deal with cold environments. Whilst evidence for fire is readily available for Neanderthals, evidence for clothing remains obscure. Due to taphonomic constraints only indirect evidence for clothing can be examined. The recovery of eyed needles only from sites related to Homo sapiens, along with a longstanding presumption that Neanderthals were less culturally adaptive has resulted in a belief that Neanderthals lacked complex, tailored clothing. However, if hominins in high latitude, glacial environments needed complex clothing for survival, and other technologies might serve in place of the eyed needle, it is possible to re-focus the debate on Neanderthal clothing and cognition. In this paper we present an experimental pilot study which suggests that birch bark glue was a possible component of the Neanderthal technological repertoire for making tailored and, perhaps more importantly, waterproof garments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T21:31:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0cb8236fd3cf4fafab8501dfaaeb8936 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2212-8956 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-18T00:41:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | EXARC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EXARC Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-0cb8236fd3cf4fafab8501dfaaeb89362024-11-27T13:38:42ZengEXARCEXARC Journal2212-89562021-11-012021/4ark:/88735/10608Birch Bark Glue and its Potential Use in Neanderthal Clothing: A Pilot StudyPhoebe BakerChristopher ScottPeter GethinAnthony SinclairEvidence that Neanderthals had mastered the production of birch bark tar as an adhesive has generated important and timely debate concerning behavioural complexity. Increased resolution of the data on palaeo-climatic conditions has also brought into sharp focus the need for hominins living in high latitudes to possess complex cultural mechanisms to deal with cold environments. Whilst evidence for fire is readily available for Neanderthals, evidence for clothing remains obscure. Due to taphonomic constraints only indirect evidence for clothing can be examined. The recovery of eyed needles only from sites related to Homo sapiens, along with a longstanding presumption that Neanderthals were less culturally adaptive has resulted in a belief that Neanderthals lacked complex, tailored clothing. However, if hominins in high latitude, glacial environments needed complex clothing for survival, and other technologies might serve in place of the eyed needle, it is possible to re-focus the debate on Neanderthal clothing and cognition. In this paper we present an experimental pilot study which suggests that birch bark glue was a possible component of the Neanderthal technological repertoire for making tailored and, perhaps more importantly, waterproof garments.https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10608glueneolithicskin or leather |
| spellingShingle | Phoebe Baker Christopher Scott Peter Gethin Anthony Sinclair Birch Bark Glue and its Potential Use in Neanderthal Clothing: A Pilot Study EXARC Journal glue neolithic skin or leather |
| title | Birch Bark Glue and its Potential Use in Neanderthal Clothing: A Pilot Study |
| title_full | Birch Bark Glue and its Potential Use in Neanderthal Clothing: A Pilot Study |
| title_fullStr | Birch Bark Glue and its Potential Use in Neanderthal Clothing: A Pilot Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Birch Bark Glue and its Potential Use in Neanderthal Clothing: A Pilot Study |
| title_short | Birch Bark Glue and its Potential Use in Neanderthal Clothing: A Pilot Study |
| title_sort | birch bark glue and its potential use in neanderthal clothing a pilot study |
| topic | glue neolithic skin or leather |
| url | https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10608 |
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