Oxford study reveals fascinating detail about caveman life

Cavemen may have used an extract form birch tree bark to treat injuries, the new research suggests, a substance which has been confirmed to have antibiotic properties.

Birch tar is often found at Neanderthal archaeological sites, and in some cases it is known to have been used as an adhesive to assemble tools, but researchers have questioned whether early humans had multiple uses for it.

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For example, Indigenous communities in northern Europe and Canada use birch tar to treat wounds, and there is growing evidence that Neanderthals also employed a variety of medical practices.

Birch tar which has been condensed on a rock creates a viscous substance which can be used for many purposes (Image: Tjaark Siemssen / SWNS)

The new study published by an international research team and led by Tjaark Siemssen, from the University of Oxford, have discovered its likely they did.

The team took tar from birch tree bark and extracted it using methods Neanderthals would have been able to use, to replicate what was available to them.

When the tar samples were exposed to different strains of bacteria, they were found to be ‘effective’ at hindering the growth of Staphylococcus bacteria which is known to cause wound infections.

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The findings, published in the journal PLOS One, not only support the effectiveness of Indigenous medical practices but also reinforce the possibility that Neanderthals used birch tar to treat wounds.

Oxford doctoral student Mr Siemssen said: “We found that the birch tar produced by Neanderthals and early humans had antibacterial properties.

A new Oxford study has revealed caveman may have used birch tree tar for more than was previously thought (Image: Tjaark Siemssen / SWNS)

“This has important implications for how Neanderthals may have mitigated disease burden during the last Ice Ages, and adds to a growing set of evidence on healthcare in these early human communities.”

The team noted that there are other potential uses for birch tar, such as insect repellent, as well as other plants to which Neanderthals had access.

They say further exploration of the multiple potential uses of natural ingredients will enable a more thorough understanding of Neanderthal culture.

Mr Siemssen said: “By bringing together research on indigenous pharmacology and experimental archaeology, we begin to understand the medicinal practices of our distant human ancestors and their closest cousins.

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“Additionally, this study of ‘palaeopharmacology’ can contribute to the rediscovery of antibiotic remedies whilst we face an ever more pressing antimicrobial resistance crisis.”

He added: “The messiness of birch tar production deserves a special mention.

“Every step of the production is a sensory experience in itself, and getting the tar off our hands after spending hours at the fire has been a challenge every time.”