Neanderthals drilled cavities to treat a toothache 59,000 years ago
4 hours ago
- #Neanderthal Dentistry
- #Ancient Medical Treatment
- #Paleoanthropology
- A Neanderthal in Siberia 59,000 years ago received dental work for a toothache, using a sharp stone tool to drill into the tooth, making it the oldest known evidence of dentistry.
- Archaeologists found the tooth in Chagyrskaya Cave, Russia, with a large hole in the chewing surface and scratches around the edges, suggesting intentional drilling to remove infected tissue and relieve pain.
- Researchers used scanning electron microscopes, micro-CT, and Raman spectroscopy to analyze the tooth and tested a replica stone tool on human teeth to confirm the intentional nature of the procedure.