Beeswax an Addition to the Production of European Stone Age Adhesives

Abstract

Beeswax is a frequently mentioned binder additive in the literature. Unfortunately, it is not so durable as to be well preserved in archaeological records, although there are faint exceptions. Because of its strengthening capabilities, which is believed to be its role, this research set out to carry out an experiment to verify the effects of adding it to the adhesives potentially used in the European Stone Age. The study used pine resin and its various compositions with beeswax and frequently used charcoal. The binders obtained were then compared with birch tar, which is considered to be one of the best adhesives in prehistory. Arrow ballistics were used to verify the effectiveness of beeswax addition, which shows that this addition has a high-quality effect on the natural binders.

Keywords

• bee
• palaeolithic
• glue
• mesolithic
• neolithic
• chalcolithic