Compound adhesive of plant gum and ochre
Adhesivo compuesto de goma vegetal y ocre
- Date
- c. 70 ka · confidence medium
- Place
- Sibudu Rock Shelter, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Credited to
- Homo sapiens (Still Bay and Howiesons Poort industries)
- Field
- Matter & energy
What it is
A glue for hafting stone tools made from acacia gum, ground ochre and sometimes wax, heated in a controlled way. It required dosing ingredients and temperature, indicating multi-stage planning comparable to a chemical recipe.
Wadley, Hodgskiss and Grant (PNAS, 2009) experimentally reproduced the recipe. In Europe, Neanderthals used birch-bark tar, a different adhesive.
What it led to
- stronger composite weapons and tools
- the control of fire as a chemical tool
- evidence of complex, planned thinking