A surprising new discovery suggests that Neanderthals may have carried out a form of dental treatment nearly 60,000 years ago.
Researchers studying an ancient tooth found evidence that these early humans likely used sharp stone tools to drill into a painful cavity, making it the oldest known example of dental treatment ever discovered.
The study was published in the journal PLOS One by researchers led by Alisa Zubova from the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The tooth is a single molar discovered in Chagyrskaya Cave in Siberia.
It belonged to a Neanderthal who lived around 59,000 years ago. At the center of the tooth, scientists found a deep hole reaching into the pulp cavity, the soft inner part of the tooth that contains nerves and blood vessels.
At first, the unusual shape of the hole puzzled researchers.
It did not look like normal tooth decay or natural damage. Under a microscope, they noticed clear scratches inside the cavity, suggesting the hole had been made intentionally rather than by chance.
To investigate further, the scientists carried out experiments using modern human teeth. They drilled into the teeth using sharp stone points similar to tools found in the same cave. The marks created during these experiments closely matched the microscopic grooves found inside the Neanderthal molar.
The researchers believe the Neanderthal may have suffered from a severe cavity or tooth infection. By drilling into the damaged area, they could remove infected tissue and reduce pain. Although the procedure would have been extremely painful, it may have provided long-term relief.
The tooth also showed signs of wear that happened while the individual was still alive. This means the person survived after the treatment and continued using the tooth for some time afterward.
Scientists say this discovery reveals a surprising level of medical knowledge and skill among Neanderthals. It suggests they could identify the source of pain, understand how to treat it, and perform careful manual work using stone tools. The treatment would also have required patience and endurance from the patient.
Researchers have previously found evidence that Neanderthals used toothpicks to clean their teeth and may have used medicinal plants. However, this is the first strong evidence that they performed a direct medical procedure on a tooth.
The discovery also changes how scientists think about Neanderthal intelligence and daily life. Rather than being primitive or simple, Neanderthals may have possessed practical medical knowledge far earlier than once believed.
The researchers say this finding pushes back the history of dental treatment by more than 40,000 years and shows that complex healthcare behaviors were not unique to modern humans.
