Beeswax as dental filling on a Neolithic human tooth

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dc.contributor.authorBernardini, Fen_AU
dc.contributor.authorTuniz, Cen_AU
dc.contributor.authorCoppa, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorMancini, Len_AU
dc.contributor.authorDreossi, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorEichert, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorTurco, Gen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBiasotto, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorTerrasi, Fen_AU
dc.contributor.authorDe Cesare, Nen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHua, Qen_AU
dc.contributor.authorLevchenko, VAen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2014-04-17T04:41:50Zen_AU
dc.date.available2014-04-17T04:41:50Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2012-09-19en_AU
dc.date.statistics2014-04-17en_AU
dc.description.abstractEvidence of prehistoric dentistry has been limited to a few cases, the most ancient dating back to the Neolithic. Here we report a 6500-year-old human mandible from Slovenia whose left canine crown bears the traces of a filling with beeswax. The use of different analytical techniques, including synchrotron radiation computed micro-tomography (micro-CT), Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating, Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), has shown that the exposed area of dentine resulting from occlusal wear and the upper part of a vertical crack affecting enamel and dentin tissues were filled with beeswax shortly before or after the individual's death. If the filling was done when the person was still alive, the intervention was likely aimed to relieve tooth sensitivity derived from either exposed dentine and/or the pain resulting from chewing on a cracked tooth: this would provide the earliest known direct evidence of therapeutic-palliative dental filling. © 2012, The Authorsen_AU
dc.identifier.articlenumbere44904en_AU
dc.identifier.citationBernardini, F., Tuniz, C., Coppa, A., Mancini, L., Dreossi, D., Eichert, D., Turco, G., Biasotto, M., Terrasi, F., De Cesare, N., Hua, Q., & Levchenko, V. (2012). Beeswax as dental filling on a Neolithic human tooth. Plos One, 7(9), Article Number e44904. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0044904en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc4726en_AU
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203en_AU
dc.identifier.issue9en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitlePlos Oneen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0044904en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/5449en_AU
dc.identifier.volume7en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherPublic Library of Scienceen_AU
dc.subjectBeesen_AU
dc.subjectWaxesen_AU
dc.subjectHuman populationsen_AU
dc.subjectAge estimationen_AU
dc.subjectTeethen_AU
dc.subjectSpectroscopyen_AU
dc.titleBeeswax as dental filling on a Neolithic human toothen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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