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Rare find: human teeth used as jewelry in Turkey 8,500 years ago
Eurekalert! ^ | December 13, 2019 | University of Copenhagen

Posted on 01/01/2020 8:59:36 PM PST by SunkenCiv

At a prehistoric archaeological site in Turkey, researchers have discovered two 8,500-year-old human teeth, which had been used as pendants in a necklace or bracelet. Researchers have never documented this practice before in the prehistoric Near East, and the rarity of the find suggests that the human teeth were imbued with profound symbolic meaning for the people who wore them.

During excavations at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey between 2013 and 2015, researchers found three 8,500-year-old-teeth that appeared to have been intentionally drilled to be worn as beads in a necklace or bracelet. Subsequent macroscopic, microscopic and radiographic analyses confirmed that two of the teeth had indeed been used as beads or pendants, researchers conclude in a newly published article in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports...

"The evidence suggests that the two teeth pendants were probably extracted from two mature individuals post-mortem. The wear on the teeth's chewing surfaces indicates that the individuals would have been between 30-50 years old. And since neither tooth seems to have been diseased-which would likely have caused the tooth to fall out during life, the most likely scenario is that both teeth were taken from skulls at the site."

Researchers have previously found human teeth used for ornamental purposes at European sites from the Upper Palaeolithic and the Neolithic, but this practice has never been documented before in the Near East during these or subsequent timeframes. This makes these finds extremely rare and surprising.

(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: anatolia; catalhoyuk; catalhuyuk; dentistry; godsgravesglyphs; neolithic
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The two drilled 8,500-year-old human teeth found at Çatalhöyük in Turkey. Credit: University of Copenhagen

Credit: University of Copenhagen

1 posted on 01/01/2020 8:59:36 PM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: SunkenCiv

“.......profound symbolic meaning for the people who wore them.”
Like notches on a gun?


2 posted on 01/01/2020 9:05:46 PM PST by the_daug
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To: the_daug

more like bear claw necklaces, or shark’s teeth necklaces probably


3 posted on 01/01/2020 9:09:40 PM PST by Bob434
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To: SunkenCiv

I dispute the ‘drilled’ finding- I’m pretty sure those were due to early experimentation with the new invention called ‘PopRocks’


4 posted on 01/01/2020 9:10:44 PM PST by Bob434
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To: SunkenCiv

Dentist.


5 posted on 01/01/2020 9:21:09 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: Bob434

Or scalps on a belt, ears or fingers on a string a trophy of their conquest.


6 posted on 01/01/2020 9:28:31 PM PST by the_daug
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To: SunkenCiv

In the distant future archaeologists will be amazed when they find the gold-plated diamond encrusted teeth belonging to some of our modern-day rappers!


7 posted on 01/01/2020 9:30:28 PM PST by howlinhound (Live your life so that, when you get up in the morning, Satan says, "Oh Crap!..He's awake" - Unknown)
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...
Batman!
(it's not that close, but oh what fun)

8 posted on 01/01/2020 10:14:46 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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The Best of Kramer - The Anti Dentite

9 posted on 01/01/2020 10:32:40 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: the_daug; Bob434; BenLurkin; howlinhound
I wonder who excavated the cavityh where this was found?
And who filled it back in.
Okay, I'll stop now.

10 posted on 01/01/2020 10:34:53 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

It is rumored that Stalin used Hitler’s skull as a paperweight. About the only thing he said enjoyed more was lying to the West about how they let Hitler escape. Wearing a necklace with Hitler’s teeth would have been too obvious.


11 posted on 01/01/2020 10:45:23 PM PST by Nateman (If the left is not screaming, you are doing it wrong ...and Epstein did not kill himself.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Dr Dentin i do believe


12 posted on 01/02/2020 12:47:02 AM PST by Bob434
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To: Bob434

“I dispute the ‘drilled’ finding - I’m pretty sure those were due to early experimentation with the new invention called ‘PopRocks’”

Nope! Clearly the earliest documented use of a Dremel.


13 posted on 01/02/2020 3:19:38 AM PST by Huaynero
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To: Huaynero

I love my Dremel.


14 posted on 01/02/2020 3:48:27 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: SunkenCiv
Cenk Assh*le from The Young Turks had no comment?
15 posted on 01/02/2020 5:16:21 AM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change with out notice.)
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To: grey_whiskers
:^)

16 posted on 01/02/2020 7:02:21 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Bob434
Good catch -- this dates to the short Pop Stone Age, which was a subdivision of the Neolithic.

17 posted on 01/02/2020 7:05:18 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Well, we've been using jewelry as human teeth.


18 posted on 01/02/2020 7:05:25 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: Nateman
Well, he didn't have access to Viagra back then.

19 posted on 01/02/2020 7:06:17 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Larry Lucido

20 posted on 01/02/2020 7:18:01 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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