70,000 year old tooth found perfectly preserved
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 25th August 2020
French broadcaster RFI is reporting that researchers have unearthed a tooth estimated to be around 70,000 years old. The incisor, thought to have belonged to an adult Neanderthal, was discovered in the Coupe-Gorge cave at the Montmaurin archaeological site in Haute-Garonne.
Excavations had ceased at the site in the 1960s, and just days after they resumed this month, the tooth was found on 11th August 2020.
The tooth has a root measuring more than 2cm, which is typical for Neanderthal males. Its high level of wear hints at intense use for more than simply chewing food.
“These [humanoids] used their teeth as a third hand,” explained Amélie Vialat, a researcher at the Montmaurin caves. “It may have been used as a tool to work leather for example. This explains why [the tooth] is very worn.”
The National Museum of Natural History will reportedly analyse the inner structure of the tooth through a scanning process, in order to determine the age of its owner.
For more information, visit https://www.rfi.fr/en/science-and-technology/20200822-perfectly-preserved-70-000-year-old-tooth-found-in-france-science-archaeology-history
