The two drilled 8,500-year-old human teeth found at Çatalhöyük in Turkey. Credit: 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 ...
The two drilled 8,500-year-old human teeth found at Çatalhöyük in Turkey. Credit: University of Copenhagen
“.......profound symbolic meaning for the people who wore them.”
Like notches on a gun?
more like bear claw necklaces, or shark’s teeth necklaces probably
I dispute the ‘drilled’ finding- I’m pretty sure those were due to early experimentation with the new invention called ‘PopRocks’
Dentist.
Or scalps on a belt, ears or fingers on a string a trophy of their conquest.
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!
(it's not that close, but oh what fun)
I wonder who excavated the cavityh where this was found?
And who filled it back in.
Okay, I'll stop now.
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.
Dr Dentin i do believe
“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.
I love my Dremel.
:^)
Good catch -- this dates to the short Pop Stone Age, which was a subdivision of the Neolithic.
Well, he didn't have access to Viagra back then.
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