A Neanderthal’s 59,000-year-old tooth provides evidence of the oldest known tooth decay treatment. Archaeological research shows that the area affected by caries was probably removed with a fine stone drill. The discovery sheds new light on the cognitive and motor abilities of Neanderthals. Apparently, early humans were already able to identify the cause of toothache and treat it successfully using a technique that required fine motor skills.
Neanderthals have long been considered a primitive sister species to our own species, Homo sapiens. But new discoveries are increasingly showing that these early humans already had advanced cognitive abilities and a complex social system. They cared for old, sick and injured members of their community and probably even used medicinal herbs. “However, until now it was unclear whether such practices reflect conscious medical strategies or are more similar to instinctive self-medication, as observed in non-human primates,” explains a team led by Alisa Zubova from the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg.
Drill hole in fossil tooth
Now an extraordinary find suggests that Neanderthals actually carried out medical treatments consciously, skillfully and successfully: In the Chagyrskaya Cave in Russia, Zubova and her team discovered a 59,000-year-old Neanderthal molar with a deep hole in the chewing surface that extends to the pulp. The hole did not appear to have formed naturally, but rather had characteristic grooves around the edges.
To interpret these traces, the researchers carried out experimental drilling on human teeth, including modern and fossil Homo sapiens teeth. “Comparing the microscopic traces on the original Neanderthal specimen with the experimentally created traces showed a clear match,” reports Zobova’s colleague Lydia Zotkina. “The micromarks show that the technique involved drilling or twisting movements and not just scraping. This requires fine motor skills and planning.”
Oldest dental treatment in human history
Computed tomography examinations revealed that the Neanderthal tooth was significantly demineralized in places, as is typical of tooth decay. Accordingly, the owner of the tooth probably suffered from severe toothache before the treatment. But the Neanderthal dentist was apparently successful with his procedure: “The carious dentin was largely removed, the pulp chamber was exposed and the subsequent wear inside the depression proves that the tooth remained functional after the procedure,” reports the research team. “This is, to our knowledge, the earliest evidence of invasive caries treatment in human evolution and dates to approximately 59,000 years ago.” The oldest dental treatment documented to date for Homo sapiens only took place around 14,000 years ago and only involved scraping off damaged areas.
From the researchers’ perspective, the discovery not only offers insights into the fine motor skills of our sister species, but also indicates an advanced understanding of diseases and, last but not least, great willpower. “Treating a carious tooth requires diagnosing the source of pain, choosing an appropriate tool, performing a painful, invasive act and persevering despite the patient’s complaints,” explains Zubova’s colleague Ksenia Kolobova. “This is an active, targeted medical intervention. It suggests that Neanderthals understood cause and effect: ‘If I remove the carious tissue, maybe the pain will stop.’ This is a cognitive leap beyond instinct.”
Zubova and her team hope to gain further insight into Neanderthal healing in future studies. “Ultimately, we want to find out not only that Neanderthals practiced medicine, but also how their medical knowledge was passed down through generations and whether it influenced their survival as a species.”
Source: Alisa Zubova (Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg) et al., PLOS One, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347662