THE POINTS FROM EL BUXU CAVE (ASTURIAS, SPAIN): First evidence of adhesive as hafting material in the Solutrean

Ochre-based compound adhesives at the Mousterian type-site document complex cognition and high investment

“…Thus, similarly to the modern human record from Africa, the known European adhesive technology documents innovative behavior and even cumulative cultural transmission of techniques ( 31 , 32 ). In addition, from the Gravettian on and in later periods, there are indications that European H. sapiens made compound adhesives using ochre ( 24 , 25 ), a behavior similar to that of early H. sapiens in Africa. However, neither Neanderthals nor early H. sapiens present in Europe before 40 ka ( 33 ) have been shown to make ochre-based compound adhesives like those known from Africa ( 34 ).…”

“…In some instances, they made tar by distilling birch bark (5,21,22). European H. sapiens also used adhesives from the late Aurignacian and Gravettian (<33 ka) on (23)(24)(25), but their botanical origin and production techniques are not well understood [an exception is the use of bitumen in Eastern Europe (26)]. The implications of Neanderthal birch tar are still debated [compare (27,28)], but what is certain is that Neanderthals made the effort to produce it, although other adhesive substances could simply have been collected in nature [see the discussion in (9,29,30)].…”