Neanderthals tried to treat their cavities with the means at hand. Traces of friction and handling were found on old teeth.
The oldest profession in the world will undoubtedly change its name. Already 130,000 years ago, Neanderthals treated their teeth problems. An artisanal dentistry, certainly, nevertheless existing. This is shown by a study from the University of Kansas (United States), published in the Bulletin of the International Association for Paleodontology.
The quenottes at the origin of this discovery were unearthed a century ago at the site of Krapina, in Croatia. If the sex of their Neanderthal owner is not known, their habits are. Because this hominid suffered from dental problems and decided to treat them.
Elementary surgery
Proof of this attempt at self-medication, the traces that persist on these teeth, after millennia spent underground. Under a microscope, the researchers observed traces of friction on the dentin, fractures of the enamel that had occurred before death. And even, on some molars, the marks of the use of a toothpick.
These signs indicate that Neanderthals probably tried to treat their dental problems. “It is perhaps not surprising that he did this, but as far as we know, it indicates (…) that he was trying to deal with this problem himself,” said David Frayer.
And this is indeed dentistry since the examined teeth were not in their original axis. The sufferer or his relatives manipulated the molars and premolars in order to calm the pain. An element that is beyond doubt, since the damage was on the side of the tongue. They could not therefore have occurred after the death of the Neanderthal.
Source : David Frayer, University of Kansas
Not a sub-man
However, the researchers could not confirm the presence of periodontal disease. No mandible corresponding to the quenottes was exhumed from the Croatian site. The signs of irritation and discomfort remain evident.
All these elements suggest that the hominid “was able to modify its environment with the help of tools,” says David Frayer. The toothpick marks, whether caused by bones, roots, or whatever, as well as the fractures on the teeth, tell us that Neanderthals acted on their mouth to treat dental irritations. “
These elements confirm that this extinct branch of Humanity was far from being a subhuman. A first track in this direction had been raised after the discovery of archaic jewels.
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