Neanderthal Tooth Drilled 59,000 Years Ago in Siberia

A Neanderthal in southern Siberia underwent the earliest known dental treatment about 59,000 years ago when someone drilled a deep cavity in a lower molar using a small stone tool, according to a new study.

Researchers analyzed the tooth, unearthed in 2016 from Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains of Russia. Microscopic examination revealed a 4.2-millimeter-long, 2.8-millimeter-wide and 2.6-millimeter-deep hole extending into the pulp cavity, surrounded by grooves and markings consistent with deliberate drilling. Severe demineralization indicated advanced tooth decay, and straight grooves near the gumline suggested prior toothpicking efforts. Overlying chew marks showed the individual survived the procedure and continued using the tooth for some time.

To confirm the hole's origin, the team experimented on three modern human teeth. They replicated the damage using thin, pointed tools made from local jasper, rotated between fingers in a drilling motion. The process took 35 to 50 minutes and produced identical microscopic grooves, matching tools previously found at the site. "This discovery powerfully reinforces the view that Neanderthals were a sophisticated human population...