Never mind Band-Aids, Neanderthals had antiseptic birch tar

Ice Age Neanderthals May Have Used Birch Tar as Early Medicine

Learn how researchers recreated birch tar and tested its antibacterial properties, revealing how Neanderthals may have used natural materials to manage wounds and infection.

Never mind Band-Aids, Neanderthals had antiseptic birch tar

Our view of Neanderthal life keeps getting more complex and vibrant.

Neanderthals May Have Used Birch Tar As An Antibiotic To Prevent Infections

A sticky substance our extinct cousins used to construct axes may also have helped treat infections.

Neanderthals may have treated wounds with antibiotic sticky tar

Tar made from birch tree bark is commonly found at Neanderthal sites, and experiments show that it kills some bacteria that cause skin infections

Neanderthals may have used birch tar for its anti-bacterial properties, experiments suggest

Neanderthals probably used birch tar for multiple functions, including treating their wounds, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS One by a team of researchers led by Tjaark Siemssen of the University of Cologne, Germany, and the University of Oxford, U.K.

Neanderthals used antibiotics, new experiment suggests

Our ancient ancestors loved their birch tar. Neanderthals likely used the sticky substance to build and repair tools, but it also may have had another important use. With its antibiotic properties, birch tar could also treat wounds. The findings are detailed in a study published today in the journal PLOS One. Long believed to be one of the less advanced Homo species, recent studies have shown that Neanderthals built tools, collected random items…