Neanderthals might have harnessed the antibacterial properties of tar made from tree bark for wound treatment. Contemporary studies of birch tar reveal its antibiotic qualities, indicating that our ancient relatives likely recognized its healing potential.

This finding contributes to the expanding evidence that Neanderthals utilized medicinal plants for treating injuries and ailments.

“Birch tar has been documented since the late Pleistocene, especially at Neanderthal sites throughout Europe,” states Chark Siemsen from Oxford University.

For instance, “it was evidently used as an adhesive” for attaching stone points to wooden spears, according to Siemsen. However, he suggests that its applications might extend beyond this. Recently, birch tar has served as a medicinal ointment for certain indigenous communities, such as the Mi’kmaq of eastern Canada, where it is known as mask wiomi and utilized as a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

To explore whether Neanderthal-produced birch tar possessed similar attributes, Siemsen and his team collected downy birch (Betula pubescens) and silver birch (Betula pendula) bark from public lands in Germany to experiment with three different birch tar production methods.

In the “elevated structure” method, a small hole was dug, and a container was placed at the bottom. Birch bark was stacked on top and wrapped in clay. After igniting a fire on this pile for two hours, birch tar was collected in the container.

The second method is simpler and likely the first approach used by Neanderthals. The researchers combusted a small quantity of birch bark under a firestone, allowing the tar to condense on the stone. This “condensation” method produced significantly smaller quantities.

Lastly, for reference, modern methods employed in Mi’kmaq communities were utilized, which involve heating birch bark in a sealed metal can with holes at the bottom to let the tar seep out.

All produced birch tars underwent antibacterial testing. Most demonstrated effectiveness against Staphylococcus aureus, a common skin infection bacterium. The strongest sample was derived from silver birch using the raised structure method, while only the downy birch tar made via the condensation method showed no effectiveness against the bacteria.

The research illustrated that birch tar consistently exhibited antibacterial properties, even with the low-tech methods available to Neanderthals, Siemsen affirmed. While Neanderthals primarily used it as glue, limiting its application to a single use would be misleading, he noted.

“We appreciate that the researchers highlighted birch bark’s medicinal properties,” says Karen Hardy from the University of Glasgow, UK. However, she emphasizes that various plants possess medicinal properties naturally. “Extracting birch bark pitch is complex and labor-intensive,” she points out, adding that to validate its intentional production for medicinal use, researchers would need to demonstrate its unique value.

Previous studies have also discovered additional evidence of Neanderthal medicinal plant usage. Neanderthals with dental abscesses likely consumed plants exhibiting analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Hardy and her team found that Neanderthals ingested yarrow and chamomile, both of which have medicinal value without nutritional benefits.

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