TY - JOUR
T1 - Ochre-based compound adhesives at the Mousterian type-site document complex cognition and high investment
AU - Schmidt, Patrick
AU - Iovita, Radu
AU - Charrié-Duhaut, Armelle
AU - Möller, Gunther
AU - Namen, Abay
AU - Dutkiewicz, Ewa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
copyright © 2024 the Authors, some rights reserved.
PY - 2024/2
Y1 - 2024/2
N2 - Ancient adhesives used in multicomponent tools may be among our best material evidences of cultural evolution and cognitive processes in early humans. African Homo sapiens is known to have made compound adhesives from naturally sticky substances and ochre, a technical behavior proposed to mark the advent of elaborate cognitive processes in our species. Foragers of the European Middle Paleolithic also used glues, but evidence of ochre-based compound adhesives is unknown. Here, we present evidence of this kind. Bitumen was mixed with high loads of goethite ochre to make compound adhesives at the type-site of the Mousterian, Le Moustier (France). Ochre loads were so high that they lowered the adhesive’s performance in classical hafting situations where stone implements are glued to handles. However, when used as handheld grips on cutting or scraping tools, a behavior known from Neanderthals, high-ochre adhesives present a real benefit, improving their solidity and rigidity. Our findings help understand the implications of Pleistocene adhesive making.
AB - Ancient adhesives used in multicomponent tools may be among our best material evidences of cultural evolution and cognitive processes in early humans. African Homo sapiens is known to have made compound adhesives from naturally sticky substances and ochre, a technical behavior proposed to mark the advent of elaborate cognitive processes in our species. Foragers of the European Middle Paleolithic also used glues, but evidence of ochre-based compound adhesives is unknown. Here, we present evidence of this kind. Bitumen was mixed with high loads of goethite ochre to make compound adhesives at the type-site of the Mousterian, Le Moustier (France). Ochre loads were so high that they lowered the adhesive’s performance in classical hafting situations where stone implements are glued to handles. However, when used as handheld grips on cutting or scraping tools, a behavior known from Neanderthals, high-ochre adhesives present a real benefit, improving their solidity and rigidity. Our findings help understand the implications of Pleistocene adhesive making.
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U2 - 10.1126/sciadv.adl0822
DO - 10.1126/sciadv.adl0822
M3 - Article
C2 - 38381827
AN - SCOPUS:85185619051
SN - 2375-2548
VL - 10
JO - Science advances
JF - Science advances
IS - 8
M1 - eadl0822
ER -