Recent analysis shows Neanderthals may have been first dentists in recorded history

One of the most dreaded terms in dentistry is “root canal,” but at least we get to enjoy the perks of modern medicine. Now, imagine enduring that painful process nearly 60,000 years ago.An international team of scientists believes they have found evidence that Neanderthals, the closest relatives of modern humans, deliberately drilled a hole in a lower molar tooth to remove infected tissue.The discovery represents the oldest known example of invasive dental treatment, and it occurred tens of thousands of years before the earliest known example of dentistry in Homo sapiens.The news serves as another example showcasing that Neanderthals were remarkably complicated ancient relatives.A collection of experimental tools crafted from local jasperoid raw material. Dotted lines illustrate the functional parts of these tools. Photo: journals.plos.org“[The medical treatment] brings Neanderthal behaviour closer to modern humans and differentiates that behaviour from the instinctive actions of other primates,” wrote the authors in a study published in Plos One, an open-access science journal, on May 13.The team found that the treatment would have required Neanderthals to identify a source of pain, decide whether they could fix the problem, and then have the dexterity in their fingers to perform the task.The process likely involved an ancient toothpick called a lithic perforator. The tool was typically made from rock and featured a “handle” that tapered to a pointed tip used for drilling or puncturing.The tooth hailed from the Altai Mountains in Siberia, a range that spans four countries – China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Russia – and is home to around 70 Neanderthal fossils.The research also focused on a modern Homo sapiens molar. Photo: journals.plos.orgThe tooth in question had a notable hole, with no clear explanation of what could have caused it.“The main goal of our study was to establish whether the formation of this concavity was artificial, the actions leading to it were intentional, and whether they served a medical purpose,” wrote the authors.The researchers conducted experiments on modern teeth to answer three questions: Could stone tools have been used for dental drilling? Could the researchers replicate the dental procedure with the tool? And could the procedure have revealed the tooth’s pulp chamber (a hollow space in the centre of the crown of the tooth)?The researchers also scanned the tooth using various technologies to identify its structure and chemical composition, as well as to perform three-dimensional modelling.The Chagyrskaya 64 molar tooth is examined for its macro-features: a. Macro-photograph showing the superior view of the crown’s concavity, b. Capturing the stepped groove on the concavity’s wall, c. Cross-sectional profile illustrating the groove. Photo: journals.plos.orgThe team acknowledged that a major flaw in the experiment is the reality that modern Neanderthal teeth do not exist, so there will be subtle differences between modern human teeth and their ancient cousins. But the objects are close enough, they said, and the experiment’s limitations were not critical.Further ReadingThe researchers hypothesised that only the stone tools would have had the blend of strength and dexterity to perform the task.The experiments revealed that not only was the toothpick up to the task, but it excelled in ancient dentistry. The Neanderthal who performed the procedure appeared to have done a good job, and the procedure was clearly effective.Additionally, the dental plan would have required one party to endure significant pain, and the patient would have understood they were about to experience discomfort.A section at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa dedicated to the evolution of the human species, located within the Certosa of Calci, Italy. Photo: ShutterstockThe team said that their research helps separate Neanderthals from other primates. The task of dentistry requires a deliberate plan, which is closer to the behaviour of modern humans than the more instinctual behaviour of other apes.“Recent discoveries – including Neanderthals’ production of modified bone tools, symbolic art, and evidence of patrilocal social organisation – have increasingly shown cognitive convergence between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans,” wrote the researchers.Neanderthal dentistry further blurs the line between Homo sapiens and our ancient cousins by pushing the concept of medical intervention back in human evolution.