Neanderthals performed dental drilling 59,000 years ago, revealing advanced medical skills
Consensus Summary
Archaeologists have discovered a 59,000-year-old Neanderthal molar from Chagyrskaya Cave in Siberia, showing clear evidence of dental drilling to treat a cavity. The hole, created using a stone tool, extends into the toothâs pulp cavity, and microscopic analysis confirms it was deliberately drilled while the individual was alive. Experiments replicating the technique on modern teeth demonstrated that the procedure would have required significant skill and endurance, taking 35â50 minutes of continuous work. Both sources agree the discovery predates the previous earliest evidence of dental treatment by over 40,000 years, challenging the notion that Neanderthals lacked advanced cognitive or medical capabilities. The toothâs owner survived the procedure and continued using it, suggesting the intervention provided temporary pain relief. Researchers also highlight the find as evidence of Neanderthalsâ compassion and self-control, as the patient likely endured excruciating pain during the drilling. While both articles emphasize the significance of the discovery, minor discrepancies exist in the geographic description of the caveâs location.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A Neanderthal molar from Chagyrskaya Cave, southern Siberia, dated to 59,000 years old, shows evidence of a drilled cavity for treating tooth decay.
- The tooth was found in Chagyrskaya Cave, where thousands of stone tools and Neanderthal remains have been excavated since 2007.
- Microscopic X-ray imaging revealed the hole was created using a sharp, thin stone tool made from local jasper, with patterns matching experimental drilling on modern teeth.
- The toothâs owner survived the procedure and continued to use the tooth for some time afterward, as evidenced by smoothed edges and wear patterns.
- The discovery is the oldest known evidence of dental treatment by more than 40,000 years, predating the previous earliest example (a 14,000-year-old Homo sapiens tooth from Italy).
- Dr. Kseniya Kolobova, lead researcher from the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated the discovery challenges stereotypes of Neanderthals as cognitively inferior.
- The research was published in the journal *PLOS One* and involved experiments replicating the drilling technique on modern human teeth.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Dr. Justin Durham, a dental professor at Newcastle University, rated the Neanderthalâs work as 'a decent job,' saying, 'If I was marking this for a dental student, I wouldnât give it an A, but given the circumstances itâs pretty impressive.'
- Durham noted that modern dentistry uses diamond-tipped burrs running at over 40,000 revolutions per minute, while the Neanderthal procedure took 35â50 minutes of continuous manual work.
- Dr. Lydia Zotkina, a co-author, remarked, 'What struck me... is what an incredibly strong-willed person this Neanderthal must have been,' adding, 'Now, every time I go to the dentist, I think about that guy.'
- The article mentions previous evidence of Neanderthals caring for a man with a withered arm and deformities and a child with Downâs syndrome who survived to age six.
- Michelle Langley, an archaeologist at Griffith University, called the drilling theory 'quite convincing' and noted, 'This isnât normal wear that you would get from eating.'
- The ABC article specifies that 70 hominin fossils and 26 teeth have been found in Chagyrskaya Cave since excavations began in 2007.
- The researchers plan to investigate whether the tooth was filled with wax or another organic material post-procedure.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states the tooth was found in *southern Siberia*, while the ABC article describes it as *south-western Siberia* (though both refer to Chagyrskaya Cave).
Source Articles
Neanderthals used stone drills to treat cavities 59,000 years ago, tooth suggests
Molar found in Siberia features deep hole that appears to show earliest known evidence of dental treatment Neanderthals used stone drills to treat cavities almost 60,000 years ago in what is the earliest known evidence of dental treatment. The single molar, which was unearthed in a cave in southern Siberia, features a deep hole that appears to have been created using a sharp, thin stone tool during the lifetime of the toothâs owner. Continue reading...
'A remarkable achievement':Â Neanderthals may have practised dentistry
Archaeologists have found a hole in a 59,000-year-old tooth, which they say was drilled to treat a painful cavity. The find suggests Neanderthals could perform complex medical procedures.