The 59,000-year-old molar was drilled out to ease the pain of infection

The ancient molar was found in the Chagyrskaya Cave in Siberia. It has been drilled out by a stone tool from the crown to near the roots.

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The ancient molar was found in the Chagyrskaya Cave in Siberia. It has been drilled out by a stone tool from the crown to near the roots.

bova et al., 2026, PLOS One (CC-BY 4.0)

An ancient human molar shows that Neandertals sometimes drilled out infected teeth with stone tools — suggesting they may have known the treatment could ease extreme tooth pain.

The 59,000-year-old tooth was unearthed from the Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains of Siberia.…