65,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Hearth Structure Discovered in Gibraltar

Archaeologists say they have discovered a new type of Neanderthal hearth at Vanguard Cave, Gibraltar. This hearth structure coincides with predictions from theoretical studies which require the use of heating structures for obtaining birch tar, commonly used in hafting. The researchers propose that the hearth was used for heating rockroses under anoxic conditions by burning herbs and shrubs, over a guano mixed with sand layer.

The Neanderthal hearth structure could have been made following these steps. Image credit: Ochando et al., doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.109025.

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