Never mind Band-Aids, Neanderthals had antiseptic birch tar

Neanderthals created a medical breakthrough with antiseptic birch tar, predating modern bandages by tens of thousands of years. Analysis of 50,000-year-old tar samples from archaeological sites reveals complex distillation processes, showing these early humans understood chemical properties for wound care. It humbles our assumption of linear progress—a lesson that innovation often cycles back to forgotten wisdom.