Middle Palaeolithic birch-bark pitch

Chemical study of two organic picccs found at Konigsaue (51O49' N, 11'24' E] in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, has revealed that birch-bark pitch was already produced in Neanderthal times. The finds are not only the oldcst birch-bark pitch known, they also demonstrate that not ceramic but birchbark pitch is the first synthetic material of man. The birch-bark pitches were found during the rescue excavation of a Middle Palaeolithic site between July 1963 and July 1964 in an industrially exploited lignite open-cast mine. They were ernbedded in two of three archaeological horizons (Konigsauc A, B and C), associated with flint artefacts of the 'Central European Micoquian', the so-called Keilriiessergruppen. The two fragments are almost black, solid and morphologically resemble old tar. The surface of the fracturc is brown. They werc obviously kneaded to their oblong shape. The smaller fragment (I-IK 63:150/0) measures Z.3x1.4 cm and 0.6