The wear patterns on the edges of some tools indicate use in tasks consistent with hafting: scraping hide, working bone or antler.

This is consistent with the broader evidence for Neanderthal composite tool manufacture from other sites, which includes the use of natural adhesives like birch pitch to secure stone tool components to handles.

Producing birch pitch requires heating birch bark to specific temperatures in controlled conditions — a multi-step process that requires planning and technical knowledge.

The presence of birch pitch hafting at Neanderthal sites has been cited as evidence for Neanderthal technical sophistication beyond simple knapping.

None of this material comes specifically from the burial context at Shanidar.