A Neanderthal living nearly 59,000 years ago in southern Siberia appears to have undergone a form of dental treatment far earlier than scientists once expected. Researchers studying a molar from Chagyrskaya Cave in Russia found signs of deliberate drilling inside a painful cavity, suggesting Neanderthals identified the source of tooth pain and attempted to treat the problem directly.
The study, published in PLOS One, focused on a lower left second molar labeled Chagyrskaya 64. The tooth has a large hollow on the chewing surface extending into the pulp chamber, where nerves and blood vessels sit. Severe decay in this area would have caused strong pain while eating or even at rest.
Researchers first noticed the cavity did not match normal patterns of tooth wear or natural damage. The shape was unusual, and scratches inside the hollow suggested repeated contact with a sharp object. Along one side of the same tooth, the team also found grooves linked to frequent toothpick use, showing the individual had likely tried several ways to deal with oral pain.
To test whether the cavity was artificially made, the team drilled three modern human teeth using stone tools similar to those recovered from the cave. These experiments produced grooves and microscopic traces closely matching those inside the Neanderthal molar.
This comparison supports the idea that someone used a sharp stone point to rotate or drill into the decayed area. The goal was likely to remove damaged tissue and reach the infected pulp. Researchers say the work happened while the individual was still alive.
Such a procedure would have been painful. No anesthetics existed, and drilling into infected tissue would have caused immediate discomfort. Even so, opening the tooth and clearing decay could reduce pressure and ease pain caused by infection.
The strongest evidence for success comes from wear marks inside the drilled cavity. After the intervention, the individual continued chewing with the tooth long enough to leave visible wear on the treated area. This suggests the procedure improved function rather than worsening the injury.
Ancient dental behavior has been documented before, though rarely in such direct form. Previous studies suggested Neanderthals used toothpicks to remove food trapped between teeth. Some evidence has also linked them to medicinal plant use. Direct invasive treatment has remained largely absent from the record.
The Chagyrskaya molar changes that picture. According to the research team, this tooth provides the oldest known evidence of deliberate dental treatment anywhere in the human fossil record. Comparable evidence in Homo sapiens appears more than 40,000 years later.
The work required careful hand control. Drilling into a small cavity with a thin stone tool demands stable finger movement and controlled pressure. Researchers also identified traces of more than one manipulation technique on the same tooth, suggesting different tools or methods were used for separate tasks.
This finding fits broader evidence from Chagyrskaya Cave, where archaeologists have uncovered stone tools, animal remains, and genetic material linked to Neanderthal groups connected with Micoquian populations from Central and Eastern Europe. These groups moved into the Altai region around 70,000 to 60,000 years ago and remained there for thousands of years.
Over the last decade, studies have continued to shift views of Neanderthals. Evidence now links them to complex toolmaking, care for injured group members, and planned use of resources. This drilled molar adds another example of deliberate problem-solving in daily life.
One damaged tooth does not answer every question about Neanderthal health practices. Still, this small find shows a painful dental problem was identified and treated with stone tools tens of thousands of years before similar procedures appear in later human groups.
Disclaimer: This website is a science-focused magazine that welcomes both academic and non-academic audiences. Comments are written by users and may include personal opinions or unverified claims. They do not necessarily reflect the views of our editorial team or rely on scientific evidence.
Comment Policy: We kindly ask all commenters to engage respectfully. Comments that contain offensive, insulting, degrading, discriminatory, or racist content will be automatically removed.