Ancient Neanderthal Glue-Making Oven Discovered in Seaside Cave

Archaeologists have discovered a 60,000-year-old structure in Vanguard Cave, Gibraltar, believed to be a Neanderthal oven used for making birch tar, a prehistoric glue. This finding challenges the stereotype of Neanderthals as unintelligent, suggesting they had advanced knowledge of combustion and chemistry. The structure's complexity and the successful recreation of birch tar in experiments indicate Neanderthals' sophisticated tool-making abilities and intelligence. The study is published in Quaternary Science Reviews.