Neanderthals drilled cavities to treat a toothache 59,000 years ago

[arstechnica@mastodon.social]

Neanderthals drilled cavities to treat a toothache 59,000 years ago

“Every time I go to the dentist, I think about that guy,” researcher says.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/neanderthals-drilled-cavities-to-treat-a-toothache-59000-years-ago/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

[jmcrookston@mastodon.social]

@arstechnica

Yeah but did the Neanderthal's insurance refuse to cover the claim?

Because THAT'S the sign of an advanced society

[jmcrookston@mastodon.social]

"Hey Bonk. You do drill every tooth for free? I going invent socialism so can call you socialist. Hahaha. Loser." [Dies of sepsis]
- early Republican, probably

[renardboy@mastodon.social]

@arstechnica another interesting fact is that their teeth looked like pants

[dckim@mastodon.social]

@arstechnica all this time we believed that this was advanced technology that only our civilization possessed.

[ciarani@mastodon.green]

@arstechnica Fascinating.

[txo_elurmaluta@mastodon.eus]

@arstechnica ikusiko zenuen @anagalarraga1 baina bazpa

[anagalarraga1@mastodon.eus]

@txo_elurmaluta Baiiii! Eskerrik asko!
Juxtu beste hau ere atera da, eta historiaurreko gizakien kupoa beteta geratu da, baina, nigatik balitz, horri buruz ere idatziko nukeen
https://zientzia.eus/artikuluak/ihomo-erectusi-espeziea-eta-denisovarrak-hibridatu-zirela-frogatu-dute/

[colesstreetpothole@weatherishappening.network]

@arstechnica

The authors tried it out:

"Two of the teeth were museum specimens, whose age and context curators didn’t know, making them less useful for other kinds of research. But one, an upper left third molar with an untreated cavity, came straight from the mouth of one of the authors—for science!"

For science!

[kierkegaanks@beige.party]

@arstechnica apparently their teeth had no nerves?