The Iranian Prehistoric Project

Braidwood, Robert J.; Howe, Bruce M.; Reed, Charles A.

doi:10.1126/science.133.3469.2008

Cited by 123 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The most ancient evidence of dentistry dates back to the Neolithic period, probably associated with the increase in carbohydrate-rich diets [some bacteria 7 such as Streptococcus mutans , convert fermentable carbohydrates to form acids; an increase in acidity might favour the demineralisation of the dental tissues 1 ] typical of agricultural societies 8 when compared with the more varied diet of hunter-gatherers 9 10 . Indeed, beeswax dental filling was discovered in ca.…”

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confidence: 99%

Earliest evidence of dental caries manipulation in the Late Upper Palaeolithic

Oxilia

Peresani

Romandini

et al. 2015

Sci Rep

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Prehistoric dental treatments were extremely rare, and the few documented cases are known from the Neolithic, when the adoption of early farming culture caused an increase of carious lesions. Here we report the earliest evidence of dental caries intervention on a Late Upper Palaeolithic modern human specimen (Villabruna) from a burial in Northern Italy. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy we show the presence of striations deriving from the manipulation of a large occlusal carious cavity of the lower right third molar. The striations have a “V”-shaped transverse section and several parallel micro-scratches at their base, as typically displayed by cutmarks on teeth. Based on in vitro experimental replication and a complete functional reconstruction of the Villabruna dental arches, we confirm that the identified striations and the associated extensive enamel chipping on the mesial wall of the cavity were produced ante-mortem by pointed flint tools during scratching and levering activities. The Villabruna specimen is therefore the oldest known evidence of dental caries intervention, suggesting at least some knowledge of disease treatment well before the Neolithic. This study suggests that primitive forms of carious treatment in human evolution entail an adaptation of the well-known toothpicking for levering and scratching rather than drilling practices.

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confidence: 99%

Earliest evidence of dental caries manipulation in the Late Upper Palaeolithic

Oxilia

Peresani

Romandini

et al. 2015

Sci Rep

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“…The Neolithic lifestyle transition from huntinggathering to farming was, for instance, accompanied by a shift to a carbohydrate-rich diet (Braidwood et al, 1961;Oelze et al, 2012). Dairy farming and the life span capability to digest lactose (the main sugar present in milk) provided a selective advantage to Europeans carrying the dominant allele T located 13,910 bp upstream from the lactase gene (Enattah et al, 2002).…”

Section: Impacts Of Neolithic-associated Dietary Shiftsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Major transitions in human evolution revisited: A tribute to ancient DNA

Ermini

Sarkissian

Willerslev

et al. 2015

Journal of Human Evolution

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“…The site of Anzabegovo in Macedonian Yugoslavia, only a few hundred miles away from Argissa-Magula. The comparison of these dates is interesting because the archeological assemblages at Sarab are more advanced typologically than those at Jarmo (18). No direct dates exist yet for European goats, but Nea Nikomedeia, which contains goat bones in its lowest levels, seems to indicate that these animals were probably in this area around 6900 B.C.…”

Section: Dates Of Domesticationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Earliest Radiocarbon Dates for Domesticated Animals

Protsch

Berger

1973

Science

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Our dates show that cattle and pigs were first domesticated in Europe. Sheep, which were thought to have become extinct in Europe during the terminal Pleistocene, also appear first in Europe. However, there remains little doubt that sheep were first domesticated in the Near East or Turkey, since no wild sheep appear to have existed in Europe at the beginning of the Holocene. Dogs were domesticated in both the Near East and Europe at virtually the same time. In the Near East, Asiab, at around 8000 B.C., qualifies as the first center of goat domestication. It is also the earliest center of domestication for all animals we have dated here. Horses were first domesticated in the steppes of the Ukraine, perhaps even earlier than our dates indicate, since all of the samples found at Polling are virtually contemporaneous (Fig. 1). Undoubtedly, future research will alter the details of our overall impressions, especially after bones at earlier sites such as Nea Nikomedeia have been dated directly. But, on balance, there can be no doubt that southeastern Europe was as much an early center of domestication as the Near East was.

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The Iranian Prehistoric Project

Cited by 123 publications

References 6 publications

Earliest evidence of dental caries manipulation in the Late Upper Palaeolithic

Earliest evidence of dental caries manipulation in the Late Upper Palaeolithic

Major transitions in human evolution revisited: A tribute to ancient DNA

Earliest Radiocarbon Dates for Domesticated Animals

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