Archaeologists uncover ancient glue-making oven used by Neanderthals in Gibraltar cave

Archaeologists have discovered a 60,000-year-old glue-making oven in Vanguard Cave, Gibraltar, a site linked to Neanderthals. This structure, believed to be used for creating birch tar, suggests advanced skills in tool-making and chemistry. The hearth features a circular design with channels and a thick wall, indicating a complex construction. Chemical traces found in the structure support its use for heating plant materials to produce tar. This finding challenges previous views of Neanderthals as primitive, highlighting their intelligence and cultural practices. The study is published in Quaternary Science Reviews.