Introduction
Did you know that gluing is the oldest method of joining materials, invented even before sewing? Yes, you read that right – 200,000 years ago, Neanderthals used the first adhesives!
Yes, them! Shocking, right? But that’s not all – Neanderthals didn’t just use glue, they created it through a chemical process! Two elements become one. Just like the mind, which stops wandering and focuses on what truly matters.
How did they do it? Where do we get this knowledge from? Check out the ‘My Perspective’ section and see if you agree with me. Now, let’s jump into the history of adhesion, starting with our prehistoric buddies – the Neanderthals!
Prehistory – Natural Adhesives (200,000 – 10,000 BCE)
200,000 Years Ago – Neanderthals
- Uses:
- Tool-making – attaching stone blades to wooden handles using birch tar.
- Tool repair – birch tar helped mend broken parts.
- Since they knew this process, they likely applied it in many other ways!
70,000 Years Ago – The Middle East (Israel, Mesopotamia)
- Ceramic repair – the first use of bitumen (natural asphalt) to glue cracked pottery.
10,000 BCE – The Beginning of Agriculture and Settlements
- Construction – using tree resins to bind stones in simple structures.
- Art and Rituals – organic glues, like animal proteins, used for cave paintings.
Ancient Times – Specialized Adhesives (3000 – 500 BCE)
3000 BCE – Egypt and Mesopotamia
- Boat building – Egyptians used collagen-based glues and tree resins to seal boats and rafts.
- Mummification – binding mummies with bitumen-based adhesives.
- Furniture-making – the first animal-based woodworking glues.
2500 BCE – Mesopotamia
- Ceramic repair – Sumerians used bitumen and starch-based adhesives to reconstruct pottery.
- Construction – using organic glues and tar to bind clay bricks.
1500 BCE – China
- Paper production – the first rice-based glues.
- Textile decoration – starch-based adhesives for printing patterns on silk.
- Secure secret documents and imperial letters – check facts.
500 BCE – Greece and Rome
- Temple and mosaic construction – using casein glue (from milk) to bond stone and ceramic elements.
- Bookbinding – the first use of animal and fish glues in bookbinding.
The Middle Ages – Artisan Glues (500 – 1500 CE)
800 CE – Europe
- Parchment production – using animal glue for medieval manuscripts.
- Gold leaf application in sacred art – egg-based glues and gum arabic for icon gilding.
1100 CE – The Middle East and Europe
- Bookbinding expansion – starch and protein-based glues for book covers.
- Theater masks and decorations – starch-based adhesives for paper constructions.
1400 CE – Italy, Renaissance
- Oil painting – using animal glues to prime canvases.
- Clockmaking – resin-based adhesives for precision mechanics.
The Industrial Revolution – The Rise of Synthetic Glues (1700 – 1900 CE)
1690 – The Netherlands
- Mass book production – the first factory producing animal glue for bookbinding.
1750 – England
- Furniture-making – development of casein-based wood adhesives.
1900 – Germany
- Industry – the introduction of synthetic adhesives for metal and machinery applications.
The Modern Era – Chemical Domination (1900 – Today)
1912 – USA
- Electronics – Bakelite adhesives used for wire insulation.
1942 – USA
- Superglue! – the accidental discovery of cyanoacrylates during research on aircraft cockpit coatings.
1958 – Germany
- Wood industry – the development of polyvinyl acetate (PVA) glue, commonly known as “white glue.”
1980 – Japan
- Epoxy adhesives – a revolution in construction and automotive industries, replacing welding.
2000+ – Modern Technologies
- Since the advancement of chemistry and modern technologies has led to an explosion of new adhesive methods, I have decided to describe them in a separate short article.
- Bio-adhesives inspired by nature – development of gecko-inspired glues and nanotechnology-based adhesives.
- Electronics adhesives – miniaturization of components, replacing screws and welds in smartphones and laptops.
My Perspective
Neanderthals and Their Process of Dry Distillation
Neanderthals produced glue primarily from birch bark using the dry distillation method. This process required not only the ability to control fire but also an understanding of raw materials.
How did they discover this process? We can only speculate. Maybe by accident—after a forest fire, someone found a sticky substance on charred wood. Or maybe through observation—they noticed that when birch bark was heated, it started releasing something that could be useful. Who knows? There’s no way to ask them now.
One thing is certain: Neanderthals learned to control this process and deliberately used it. When exposed to heat, birch bark released a sticky, dark substance—birch tar. This process took several hours, and once it was complete, they collected the finished glue.
What did they use it for? To attach stone blades to wooden shafts, bond different materials in tools, and even repair broken objects. How do we know this? Thanks to archaeologists, who conducted dry distillation experiments in an effort to recreate Neanderthal techniques.
But here’s something even more intriguing: Neanderthals tested different methods, which means they had a developed way of thinking.
– They didn’t give up after the first failure.
– They analyzed what went wrong and searched for better solutions.
– They had the ability to think abstractly—“what happens if I try it differently?”
This wasn’t just animal-like cleverness. This was conscious craftsmanship.
While writing about this, I realized something else—they had to communicate with each other. Their learning process must have been exactly like today’s workshops, where a master demonstrates a technique to an apprentice and then corrects their mistakes.
Now I’m sure of one thing: They weren’t primitive “wild people” who only hunted and ran from predators.
They were inventors, craftsmen, and experimenters.
And although they were underestimated for a long time, today I know they were at least as intelligent as we are—they just lived in different conditions and had different priorities.
And honestly, who knows? If history had taken a different turn, maybe today Neanderthals would be the dominant species on Earth.
This shows that technical thinking and the craft of learning are something we have in our DNA – literally for hundreds of thousands of years!
Conclusion
From prehistoric Neanderthals to modern scientists, the sticky journey through history has always been about human ingenuity—craftsmen and innovators finding new ways to bind materials together. As science and chemistry continue to evolve, we have reached incredible breakthroughs, but who knows what awaits us around the next bend in history?
Since the advancement of chemistry has brought a whole range of modern adhesives, I decided to dedicate a separate article to them.
Did you know that…
Did you know that in ancient China, glue wasn’t just for construction or tools? Officials used specially formulated adhesives to seal important documents. If someone tried to open the letter, the glue would break in a specific way, revealing any tampering. This method was an early form of security, ensuring that imperial messages remained confidential.
Key Terms
- Birch Tar – A natural adhesive made by heating birch bark, used by Neanderthals for tool-making.
- Bitumen – A natural form of asphalt used in ancient pottery repairs and construction.
- Tree Resins – Natural sticky substances produced by trees, mainly conifers, used historically as adhesives, sealants, and in varnishes. Over time, resins can harden into amber.
- Rice-Based Glues – Adhesives made from rice starch, historically used in bookbinding, paper reinforcement, and textile applications, particularly in China and Japan.
- Collagen-Based Glues – Adhesives derived from animal collagen, commonly used in woodworking, bookbinding, and traditional crafts due to their strong bonding properties and reversibility.
- Starch-Based Adhesives – Glues made from natural starches (e.g., corn, wheat, or potato starch), commonly used in paper bonding, bookbinding, packaging, and textile applications. They are biodegradable and widely used in eco-friendly adhesives.
- Casein Glue – A milk-based adhesive widely used in woodworking and bookbinding.
- Gum Arabic – A natural resin derived from the sap of Acacia trees, used as an adhesive, binder in paints and inks, and in food production as a stabilizer. It has been historically used in manuscript illumination and gilding.
- Cyanoacrylate (Superglue) – A fast-acting, strong adhesive discovered accidentally during WWII research.
- Epoxy – A two-component adhesive known for its strength and industrial applications.