Health

Study: Neanderthals Performed Dentistry 59K Years Ago

Did Neanderthals truly perform intentional dental surgery 59,000 years ago or is this ancient tooth being wildly misinterpreted?

Published MAY 14

Study: Neanderthals Performed Dentistry 59K Years Ago

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Image credit: David Ullrich via X

The Facts

A study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One describes a roughly 59,000-year-old Neanderthal molar from Chagyrskaya Cave in southwestern Siberia that apparently shows evidence of deliberate drilling to treat a severe tooth cavity — the oldest known instance of dental intervention.
guardian
CNN
Plos One
The lower molar, designated Chagyrskaya 64, features a deep central hole extending into the pulp chamber, along with microscopic grooves consistent with the rotating motion of a small, pointed stone tool made from locally sourced jasper.
New York Post
Live Science
Purdue Exponent
To test their hypothesis, researchers used replica Jasper tools to manually drill one modern tooth and two Holocene Homo sapiens teeth, successfully reproducing the same hole geometry and microscopic abrasion patterns observed in the Neanderthal tooth in under an hour.
guardian
EurekAlert!
Ars Technica
Wear patterns on the tooth indicate the individual continued to chew with it after the procedure, suggesting the patient survived for a significant period following the intervention. The previous oldest evidence of dental cavity treatment dates to roughly 14,000 years ago in Italy.
New York Post
Live Science
New Scientist
Researchers say the procedure would have exposed and deadened the nerves and blood vessels in the pulp, providing pain relief. Justin Durham, a professor of orofacial pain at Newcastle University, described the intervention as "the beginnings of a root canal treatment."
guardian
CNN
ZME Science

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The 59,000-year-old molar from Chagyrskaya Cave proves Neanderthals performed intentional dental surgery — drilling out infected tissue with stone tools, long before any known human medical procedure. The hole's shape, microscopic scratch patterns and signs of long-term post-procedure tooth wear all confirm this was skilled, targeted treatment. Neanderthals weren't primitive brutes; they diagnosed pain, selected tools and endured invasive procedures to heal.

PHYS

La República on X

Narrative B

Calling this a "root canal" wildly overstates what the evidence actually shows — no sealing, no sterilization, no proof of genuine medical understanding. A drilled-looking hole in an ancient tooth could easily reflect postmortem damage or basic scraping rather than intentional surgery. Sensational headlines keep getting ahead of the careful, skeptical scientific consensus this kind of extraordinary claim genuinely demands.