Neanderthal Molar Shows Stone-Tool Dental Treatment in Siberia
Researchers say a stone tool removed infected tissue from the tooth, and wear marks show the Neanderthal survived and kept chewing afterward.
- On Wednesday, researchers published a study in PLOS One describing a 59,000-year-old Neanderthal molar from Russia's Chagyrskaya Cave featuring a deep hole believed to be evidence of an invasive dental procedure.
- Archaeologist John Olsen of the University of Arizona described the intervention as "basically a root canal," where a Neanderthal used a small stone tool to rotate against the tooth's surface and clean out severely rotten tissue.
- To confirm their theory, co-author Lydia Zotkina and her team replicated the drilling on modern teeth using jasper tools, discovering "clear linear marks typical of a rotating, drilling motion" that matched the ancient molar.
- This discovery suggests Neanderthals possessed the cognitive flexibility to identify pain and perform complex surgery, predating similar Homo sapiens evidence by more than 40,000 years and challenging old stereotypes.
- Evidence of wear on the cavity walls indicates the patient survived and continued chewing for years, proving the intervention was successful; researcher Andrey Krivoshapkin notes this "goes far beyond the instinctive self medication seen in other primates.
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An unusual tooth found in a cave offers an exceptional view of an amazing procedure that prehistoric humans could have performed to repair cavities 59,000 years ago.
The history of dentistry may have to be rewritten. A finding from Siberia suggests that the Neanderthals already performed complex procedures almost 60,000 years ago. Traces of the tooth indicate the treatment.
Neanderthals used stone tools to drill into damaged teeth, likely in an attempt to relieve pain
Analysis of a tooth found in a cave in southern Siberia shows that Neanderthals may have had the necessary knowledge to identify a cavity infection and the ability to pierce the tooth with a stabbing tool to eliminate painHemeroteca - An analysis reveals that human hybridization occurred mainly among male Neanderthals and female sapiens Drilling between the teeth to relieve discomfort or remove food remains is, possibly, the oldest habit of mank…
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Su-jeong = Research results have revealed that Neanderthals performed dental procedures using 'stone drills' to treat cavities about 60,000 years ago...
Neanderthals possessed the knowledge to identify a dental infection and the motor skills to drill the damaged part with stone tools, as testified by a tooth nearly 60,000 years ago found in the cave of Chagyrsskaya, in Russia.This would be the oldest test of complex dental care and the first outside of Homo sapiens, indicates a study led by the Russian Academy of Sciences and published by Plos One.Archaeological findings have shown that Neandert…
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