World's oldest glue used from prehistoric times till the days of the Gauls

Eurekalert! ^ | CNRS

[SunkenCiv]

Birch bark tar, the oldest glue in the world, was in use for at least 50,000 years, from the Palaeolithic Period up until the time of the Gauls. Made by heating birch bark, it served as an adhesive for hafting tools and decorating objects. Scientists mistakenly thought it had been abandoned in western Europe at the end of the Iron Age (800-25 BC) and replaced by conifer resins, around which a full-fledged industry developed during the Roman period. But by studying artefacts that date back to the first six centuries AD through the lens of chemistry, archaeology, and textual analysis, researchers[1] from the CNRS, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis / Université Côte d'Azur, and Inrap have discovered birch tar was being used right up to late antiquity, if not longer. The artefacts in question--found in a region where birch is scarce, thus raising the question of how it was procured--are testimony to the strength of tradition among the Gauls. The scientists' findings are published in Antiquity (13 November 2019).

[Daffynition]

Come north my FRiend, come north. :)

[SunkenCiv]

The gorillas wish. :^) And ducks probably invented duct tape.

[SunkenCiv]

Yup, thanks go out to our Neandertal ancestors.

• Neanderthals Clever Enough To Make 'Superglue' [2002]
• Tools with handles even more ancient [2008]
• What Chewed-Up Gum Reveals About Life in the Stone Age [DNA] [2018]
• Otzi the Iceman's tools tell a story of desperation [2019]
• Ancient chewing gum reveals Scandinavia's oldest human DNA [2019]
• World's oldest glue used from prehistoric times till the days of the Gauls [2019]

[Daffynition]

5,00 y/o birch gum

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6954562.stm

[be-baw]

There they are!

I thought I was north. Maybe I need to get out more.

[minnesota_bound]

Gorillas invented glue long before humans...

[Adder]

Dang,,,you’re right.

[blam]

" Otzi the iceman made his arrows using the tar, made by cooking it in an oxygen-free container."

Interesting. Thanks, I didn't know that.

[Telepathic Intruder]

The collection of stuff he carried was quite a find, more valuable than Otzi himself (in an historical sense). With the copper axe he was a state of the art stone age man. Bronze was being invented right about that time, somewhere else.

[minnesota_bound]

Gorillas would have been us except they were sniffing the glue too..... : )

[Daffynition]

Come visit us! You’ll love it here. We have about 18” of snow; and it has been bitter cold;made it up to 3* today.

There’s a town, not far from us, that is known for its birch tree stands. Spectacular.

[be-baw]

No thanks. The 6” we got last week is mostly gone so I don’t have to worry about slipping, falling and breaking something.

Maybe I’ll come late spring, early summer. I’ll have my secretary call yours.

[Daffynition]

Be safe out there! I have used a ski pole, when I am walking on the slick ice or snow; it works great to help keep my balance.

[be-baw]

Thanks for the tip. I don’t know if I want to get a ski pole, but I’ll look for something similar. The snow is mostly gone now, but I’m sure we’ll get more. Really, over the last few years, here in beautiful mid-Michigan, we’ve had below average snow events. We had some freezing drizzle last night, but the only hassle was on my windshield. Not a big deal.

I haven’t fallen in a long time. When I was younger, and much more agile, I would fall every year - just once. I never got hurt, but it happened for so long that when I would have my annual tumble, I would be glad to have it over with for the season.

[Daffynition]

If a ski pole, is your goal, watch the classified for ski swap meets; common this time of year. Good stuff cheap.

Or any place that sells hiking gear....trekking poles have a pointy tip.

<{>Stay safe.