About 59,000 years ago, a Neanderthal residing in the Siberian mountains experienced a severe toothache and took action. Recent research reveals a lower molar found in a cave near the Altai Mountains showing signs of dental work – a large hole seemingly manually drilled with a stone tool to remove decay.
Published in the journal PLOS One, the study authors suggest this is the earliest-known instance of invasive dental surgery, predating homo sapiens’ documented cavity treatments. This adds to the mounting evidence indicating Neanderthals were more advanced than commonly believed.
Anthropologist John Olsen, a study co-author, speculates on how a Neanderthal dealt with a tooth infection. He suggests two possibilities – seeking external help due to excruciating pain or attempting self-treatment, with the former being more plausible given Neanderthals’ social nature.
While Neanderthal dentists are doubted, the procedure indicates a level of expertise. The tooth, recovered at Chagyrskaya Cave in southern Siberia, underwent meticulous examination revealing deliberate modification, challenging previous notions of the species’ capabilities.
The tooth’s examination involved replicating the procedure on modern human teeth with similar tools found in the cave. This groundbreaking discovery surpasses the previously known dental surgery on a Homo sapiens tooth in Italy.
The study highlights Neanderthals’ advanced cognitive abilities, including planning and precise motor skills. This challenges the perception that such complex behaviors were unique to modern humans, as stated by the study’s senior author from the Russian Academy of Sciences.