The collection of the black minerals comprised primarily of manganese dioxide (MnO2 ) by Neandertals in France is a known archaeological phenomenon, with some of these blocks exhibiting evidence of... Show moreThe collection of the black minerals comprised primarily of manganese dioxide (MnO2 ) by Neandertals in France is a known archaeological phenomenon, with some of these blocks exhibiting evidence of having been abraded to produce powder. This has generally been interpreted as the production of black pigment that may have been applied to the body as a form of symbolic expression. However, Heyes and colleagues (2016) demonstrate that MnO2 can reduce the auto-ignition temperature of wood by upwards of 100°C and suggest that this special pyrotechnic property of powdered MnO2 may have been appreciated by Neandertals. Specifically, they suggest that the addition of MnO2 to tinder materials may have aided in fire-making. The purpose of the pilot study described here is to test the utility of MnO2 as a tinder enhancer during actualistic fire-making experiments. The flint-and-pyrite fire-making method was employed to produce sparks that were directed onto fluffed tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius) with and without added MnO2 to determine if and the degree to which this material improves the ability of the tinder to capture and propagate sparks into a glowing ember. The results of this pilot study lend support to the hypothesis of Heyes and colleagues by demonstrating that MnO2 improves the spark capturing efficiency of tinder material over untreated tinder, thereby reducing the time and energy required to produce fire using the percussive fire-making method. However, it was also observed that the incorporation of pyrite (FeS2 ) dust into the untreated tinder over the course of the experiments appeared to improve its ability to capture sparks, lending to the idea that pyrite powder added to tinder prior to making fire could also expedite the process and largely negates the need for collecting MnO2 for this purpose. Show less
The collection of the black minerals comprised primarily of manganese dioxide (MnO2) by Neandertals during the late Middle Palaeolithic in France is a known archaeological phenomenon, with some of... Show moreThe collection of the black minerals comprised primarily of manganese dioxide (MnO2) by Neandertals during the late Middle Palaeolithic in France is a known archaeological phenomenon, with some of these blocks exhibiting evidence of having been abraded to produce powder [1,2]. This has generally been interpreted as resulting from the production of black pigment that may have been applied to the body as a form of symbolic expression [3]. However, Heyes and colleagues [4] demonstrate that MnO2 can reduce the auto-ignition temperature of wood by upwards of 100°C and suggest that this special pyrotechnic property of powdered MnO2 may have been appreciated by Neandertals. Specifically, they suggest that the addition of MnO2 to tinder materials may have aided in fire-making. Recent findings suggesting that late Neandertals were producing fire by artificial means as early as 50,000 years ago lend credence to this hypothesis [4]. The purpose of the study described here is to test the utility of MnO2 as a tinder enhancer during actualistic fire-making experiments. The flint-and-pyrite fire-making method was employed to produce sparks that were directed onto different types of tinder, both with and without added MnO2, to determine if and the degree to which this material improves the ability of the tinders to capture sparks, allowing them to propagate into a glowing ember. The initial results of this study lend support to the hypothesis of Heyes and colleagues by demonstrating that MnO2 improves the spark capturing efficiency of tinder material over untreated tinder, thereby reducing the time and energy required to produce fire using the percussive fire-making method. However, it was also observed that the incorporation of pyrite dust into the untreated tinder over the course of the experiments appeared to improve its ability to capture sparks, lending to the idea that pyrite powder added to tinder prior to making fire could also expedite the process and largely negate the need for collecting MnO2 for this purpose.[1] Pitarch Martí, A., d'Errico, F., 2018. Seeking black. Geochemical characterization by PIXE of Palaeolithic manganese-rich lumps and their potential sources. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 50, 54-68.[2] Dayet, L., Faivre, J.-P., Le Bourdonnec, F.-X., Discamps, E., Royer, A., Claud, E., Lahaye, C., Cantin, N., Tartar, E., Queffelec, A., Gravina, B., Turq, A., d'Errico, F., 2019. Manganese and iron oxide use at Combe-Grenal (Dordogne, France): A proxy for cultural change in Neanderthal communities. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 25, 239-256.[3] Soressi, M., d'Errico, F., 2007. Pigments, gravures, parures : les comportements symboliques controversés des Néandertaliens, in: Vandermeersch, B., Maureille, B. (Eds.), Les Néandertaliens. Biologie et cultures. Comité des Travaux Historiques et Scientifiques (Documents Préhistoriques 23), Paris, pp. 297-309.[4] Heyes, P., Anastasakis, K., Jong, W.d., Hoesel, A.v., Roebroeks, W., Soressi, M., 2016. Selection and Use of Manganese Dioxide by Neanderthals. Scientific reports 6, 22159.[5] Sorensen, A.C., Claud, E., Soressi, M., 2018. Neandertal fire-making technology inferred from microwear analysis. Scientific reports 8, 10065. Show less
