Glue

Principal investigator

Veerle ROTS

Co-principal investigator

Jean-François FOCANT (ULiège), Pierre-Hugues STEFANUTO (ULiège)

Collaborators

Dries CNUTS, Anika LOKKER, Ronè OBERHOLZER

Funding

ULiège (Action de recherche concertée)

Years

2021-2025

Summary

The invention of glue in prehistory marks a fundamental change in how stone tools can be hafted and tool designs can be conceived and it has been viewed as a marker of human behavioural complexity. Indeed, the recognition and exploitation of the adhesive properties of natural products to mount stone implements in organic handles thereby improving tool use is fundamental in our history, with implications up until today. Current evidence shows that stone tool hafting appeared early, at least 250.000 years ago in Europe and 200.000 years ago in Africa, but positive identifications of glue use remain rare due to difficulties in their identification and analysis. This collaborative project between TraceoLab and OBIAChem at Liège proposes to remedy these difficulties.