Proof-of-concept collaboration on adhesives

Principal investigators

Jean-François FOCANT (ULiège) Veerle ROTS

Collaborators

Dries CNUTS, Lena DUBOIS (ULiège), Katelynn PERRAULT (Chaminade University of Honolulu), Pierre-Hugues STEFANUTO (ULiège)

Years

2016-2020

Summary

The goal of the proposed project is to understand the differences in terms of the use of glues between Neanderthals and modern humans in Europe in comparison to early modern humans in Africa. The use of glue takes a central position in debates on the evolution of complex cognition. Indeed, the capacity to mount a stone tool on an organic haft indicates the existence of a capacity to anticipate future needs and to plan and it marks the development of complex technology.

Further reading

• Perrault K.A., Dubois L.M., Cnuts D., Rots V., Focant J.-F., Stefanuto P.-H., 2018 – Examination of archaeological hafting adhesives using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Journal of Separation Science Plus 1(11): 726-737
• Cnuts D., Perrault K.A., Stefanuto P.-H., Dubois L.M., Focant J.-F., Rots V., 2018 – Fingerprinting glues using HS-SPME GC×GC-HRTOFMS: a new powerful method allows tracking glues back in time. Archaeometry 60(6): 1361-1376