Washington, Sept 20 (ANI): Researchers have discovered a 6,500-year-old human jaw bone with a tooth showing traces of beeswax filling, which provides new evidence on ancient dentistry.
The researchers, led by Federico Bernardini and Claudio Tuniz of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy in cooperation with Sincrotrone Trieste and other institutions, wrote that the beeswax was applied around the time of the individual's death, but cannot confirm whether it was shortly before or after.
If it was before death, however, they write that it was likely intended to reduce pain and sensitivity from a vertical crack in the enamel and dentin layers of the tooth.
According to Tuniz, the severe wear of the tooth "is probably also due to its use in non-alimentary activities, possibly such as weaving, generally performed by Neolithic females."
Evidence of prehistoric dentistry is sparse, so this new specimen, found in Slovenia near Trieste, may help provide insight into early dental practices.
"This finding is perhaps the most ancient evidence of pre-historic dentistry in Europe and the earliest known direct example of therapeutic-palliative dental filling so far," Bernardini said.
The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE. (ANI)
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