Potential Neanderthal Wound Treatment Gets a Fresh Look

Neanderthals may have done more than just glue tools together with birch tar—they might have dabbed it on their wounds, too, showing impressive medical expertise. A new study in PLOS One finds that tar made using methods available in the Late Pleistocene can hinder the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of skin and wound infections in humans. Indigenous groups, including the Mi'kmaq of Eastern Canada and the Saami of Lapland, use birch tar, also known as pitch, to prevent infection from gram-positive bacteria, among the most common to infect wounds, per IFL Science. There's evidence Neanderthals also used it as far back as 190,000 years ago, per Smithsonian.

Researchers distilled birch tar from two European birch species using three techniques: two based on prehistoric clay-and-stone setups and one modern method used by the Mi'kmaq. All three versions blocked S. aureus, though not gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli. The findings not only support Indigenous medicinal practices but add to growing evidence that Neanderthals may have practiced some form of healthcare, including possible use of medicinal plants and mushrooms. Tens of thousands of years before the official discovery of penicillin, Neanderthals may have also chewed on penicillin-producing molds as a dental antibiotic. With antibiotic resistance on the rise, the authors argue that revisiting traditional remedies like birch tar could have modern relevance.