A tooth that was discovered in 1988 could provide evidence that Palaeolithic humans had their own versions of dental treatment; the molar is believed to be 14,000 years old and archaeologists believe that it shows signs of dental work to treat a large cavity. Distinctive cut marks on the crown of the tooth are thought to have been made by a small flint tool – suggesting that material may have been scraped out of the tooth cavity to relieve pain.
Speaking to Discovery News, Dr Stefano Benazzi, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Bologna, said that ‘infected tissue was picked away from inside the tooth carefully using a small, sharp stone tool. This shows that Late Upper Palaeolithic humans were aware about the deleterious effects of caries, and the need to intervene with an invasive treatment to clean a deep dental cavity.’
The tooth was found in the Riparo Villabruna rock shelter near Belluno, north east Italy and it is thought to have belonged to a male who was around the age of 25 at his death. Evidence suggests that the man was a hunter who was buried under large river pebbles. Until now, the tooth damage was thought to be caused by decay but the team of archaeologists, led by Dr Benazzi, used an electron microscope to examine the cavity and discovered the strange cuts around the edge of the hole.