Neanderthals seem to have used birch tar to heal wounds

Fuente: earth.com

Published by Andrei Ionescu (Earth.com staff writer) in earth.com on 20 March 2026

Birch tar has long appeared at Neanderthal sites as a black, sticky residue – usually explained as a kind of prehistoric glue used to hold tools together. However, that simple picture may be missing something important.

A new study from the University of Cologne and the University of Oxford suggests the same substance that helped Neanderthals build their tools may also have helped them treat wounds.

When researchers recreated birch tar using ancient methods, they found it could slow the growth of bacteria linked to infection.

The findings don’t prove Neanderthals practiced medicine. But they add to a growing body of evidence that these early humans were more than skilled hunters – they may also have been practical caregivers, using the materials around them to manage injury and disease.

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