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Dental drill holes observed under a microscope. (Photo: BBC) |
Stone Age people in Pakistan used flint drills for dental treatment 9,000 years ago.
The teeth discovered in a Neolithic burial site in Mehrgarh, located in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan, clearly show signs of drilling. Analysis of the teeth indicates that prehistoric dentists treated toothaches using flint drills.
The teeth reveal that the tools were quite effective in removing decayed pulp. Approximately 11 drilled teeth were found.
“The smooth edges around the drill holes indicate that dental drilling was performed on living individuals who continued to chew after their teeth were treated,” said researcher Roberto Macchiarelli from the University of Poitiers, France.
This dental practice in Mehrgarh lasted for 1,500 years until it was banned in the area.
Flint drill tips were found throughout Mehrgarh, mixed among beads made of bone, shells, and turquoise. The authors suggest that the skill of dental drilling was likely developed by the same artisans who made the beads.
M.T.
