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Plant resins, tars and organic fossil substances provide valuable insights into the ecological, environmental and cultural contexts of ancient societies. Their study offers evidence of past know-how, production systems, socio-economic networks and mobility. In this paper, we present new data from 16 sites located in the North-West Mediterranean that provide new insights into the exploitation of these substances for their adhesive and hydrophobic properties throughout the Neolithic (6000-2500 cal BCE). The substances investigated are discussed in the light of their molecular composition, their uses and manufacturing processes. Spatial analyses were also performed to elucidate raw material procurement strategies. This study considerably increases the body of data available from the Mediterranean and tells a diachronic story of adhesive production and use throughout the Neolithic, highlighting the variability and complexity of production systems and supply networks at different spatial scales. While most adhesive and hydrophobic substances were probably collected locally, birch bark tar was very likely transported across long distances to reach Mediterranean coastal sites. Birch bark tar exploitation intensified in South-Eastern France during the Middle Neolithic, while the Late Neolithic is characterised by a diversification of the substances employed and their range of uses: bitumen, birch bark tar (pure or mixed with Pinaceae resin, beeswax and possibly fat/oil) were important materials that were used for a variety of purposes. Pure Pinaceae exudates were exclusively employed for waterproofing pottery. We also highlight the standardisation of birch bark tar production for adhesive manufacture observed in Provence during the first part of the 4th millennium cal. BCE., The authors thank the French National Research Agency (ANR) for the funding of the project Exsudarch (2010-2014, M. Regert dir.) which allowed extensive diachronic interdisciplinary investigations on plant exudates and tars as well as researching the biogeography of plant raw materials. We are also grateful to the Academy 5 of the IDEXJEDI from UCA (Université Côte d’Azur), to the MSHS sud-est, to the CNRS-INEE and to the CEPAM for funding the research project ARCHEOPLANTES (2018-2020, M. Regert dir.). The results presented here were obtained during the PhD of Maxime Rageot, funded by the PACA Region, the CNRS and the Université Côte d’Azur; may they find here the expression of our sincere thanks. We are grateful to Nolan Ferar for proofreading the article. Finally, we would like to thank the two reviewers for their constructive suggestions which helped to improve the quality of this article.