I recently came across an article describing wads of chewed up birch tar dating to nearly 6000 years ago. They were unearthed in Denmark during an excavation of an ancient home site. The author speculated that these wads were some sort of primitive chewing gum so, of course, I had to try it out. In this primitive skills video, we'll go through the entire process of rending birch tar or birch oil from the bark of western birch which are closely related to paper birch. Birch oil is one of the oldest known adhesives. It's a powerful antiseptic, primitive waterproofing and wood sealer, leather preservative and conditioner. It was used to patch cracks in pots and waterproof leather in ancient Rome. With all those uses, knowing how to make birch tar could be a valuable survival skill for long term wilderness living. In other words, it's pretty incredible stuff and it's quite easy to make.
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Here's the article if you're interested: www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/sc...
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