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Neanderthal dentists used stone drills to treat cavities nearly 60,000 years ago, ancient molar suggests

Phys · · 733 words · By Public Library

The article reports on a study published in PLOS One regarding a 59,000-year-old Neanderthal molar found in Russia. Researchers suggest that the tooth shows evidence of intentional drilling with stone tools to treat a cavity, marking the oldest known instance of such dental intervention.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-neanderthal-dentists-stone-drills-cavities.html

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0%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 100%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

10 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 6
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“Neanderthal dentists used stone drills to treat cavities nearly 60,000 years ago”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (Daily Mail, Google News, and other web search results) confirm that Neanderthals used stone drills to treat cavities approximately 60,000 (specifically 59,000) years ago.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Interbreeding between archaic humans (such as Neanderthals and Denisovans) and anatomically modern humans (contemporaneous Homo sapiens) took place during the Middle Paleolithic and early Upper Paleol…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbreeding_between_archaic_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Neanderthals ( nee-AN-də(r)-TAHL, nay-, -⁠THAHL; Homo neanderthalensis or sometimes Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) are an extinct group of archaic humans who inhabited Europe and Western and Central A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Neanderthals became extinct around 40,000 years ago. Hypotheses on the causes of the extinction include violence, transmission of diseases from modern humans to which Neanderthals had no immunity, com…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal_extinction
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“a study published May 13, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Alisa Zubova of Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences (Kunstkamera), St. Petersburg, and colleagues”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of generic search results for 'study.com' and 'merriam-webster' and unrelated Wikipedia entries. There is no evidence in the provided text confirming the specific publication date of May 13, 2026, or the author Alisa Zubova.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an ethnic group native to Hungary (Magyarország), who share a common culture, language, history and ancestry. They also have a notable presence in former parts o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarians
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The genetic history of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas is divided into two distinct periods: the initial peopling of the Americas from about 20,000 to 14,000 years ago (20–14 kya), and European…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_history_of_the_Indigen…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Yakuts or Sakha (Yakut: саха, saxa; plural: сахалар, saxalar) are a Turkic ethnic group native to North Siberia, primarily the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the Russian Federation. They also inha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakuts
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Archaeological discoveries have shown that Neanderthals used toothpicks to remove food from their teeth”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (ScienceAlert and Archaeology Magazine/Archaeology.org) report that Neanderthals used toothpicks to remove food from their teeth.
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web search NEUTRAL — Neanderthals Used Toothpicks. News October 25, 2013.Wolf Rites of Winter. Archaeologists digging a Bronze Age site on the Russian steppes are using evidence from language and mythology to understand a…
https://archaeology.org/news/2013/10/25/neanderthals-toothpi…
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web search NEUTRAL — Archaeologists operating in Poland have found evidence that Neanderthals had used toothpicks at one point, shedding light on the hygiene practices of the unevolved human, according to Archaeology.org.…
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/neanderthals-possibly-u…
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web search NEUTRAL — Other materials Neanderthals might have used to clean their teeth include bone, sinew, and grass, although these have yet to be confirmed in the archaeological record. According to the famous engineer…
https://www.sciencealert.com/evidence-shows-neanderthals-too…
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“This tooth is a single molar from Chagyrskaya Cave in Russia, around 59,000 years old.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm the tooth is a molar from Chagyrskaya Cave in Russia and is approximately 59,000 years old.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Denisovans or Denisova hominins ( də-NIS-ə-və(nz)) are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human that ranged across Asia during the Middle to Late Pleistocene, approximately 200,000–32,000…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denisovan
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — For much of the early 20th century, Neanderthal behaviour was depicted as primitive, unintelligent, and brutish; unevolved compared to their modern human contemporaries, the Cro-Magnons. Although know…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal_behavior
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Okladnikov Cave (Russian: пещера Окладникова) is a paleoanthropological site located in the foothills of the Altai Mountains in Soloneshensky District, Altai Krai in southern Siberia, Russia. The cave…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okladnikov_Cave
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“In the center of the tooth is a deep hole extending into the pulp cavity.”
CORROBORATED
The Guardian and other web search results explicitly state that the lower molar features a deep hole in the center extending into the pulp cavity.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — For much of the early 20th century, Neanderthal behaviour was depicted as primitive, unintelligent, and brutish; unevolved compared to their modern human contemporaries, the Cro-Magnons. Although know…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal_behavior
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Neanderthal genetics testing became possible in the 1990s with advances in ancient DNA analysis. In 2008, the Neanderthal genome project published the full sequence Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA (mtDN…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal_genetics
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Okladnikov Cave (Russian: пещера Окладникова) is a paleoanthropological site located in the foothills of the Altai Mountains in Soloneshensky District, Altai Krai in southern Siberia, Russia. The cave…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okladnikov_Cave
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“a hole of the same shape and same patterns of microscopic grooves can be created by drilling into the tooth with a stone point similar to tools that have been found within Chagyrskaya Cave”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm that the hole in the tooth is consistent with drilling using stone tools similar to those found in the Chagyrskaya Cave.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Denisovans or Denisova hominins ( də-NIS-ə-və(nz)) are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human that ranged across Asia during the Middle to Late Pleistocene, approximately 200,000–32,000…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denisovan
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ancient DNA (aDNA) is genetic material extracted from ancient sources, recovered from bones, teeth, or other biological remains. Unlike DNA recovered from living organisms, aDNA is often highly degrad…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_history_of_Pleistocene…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Okladnikov Cave (Russian: пещера Окладникова) is a paleoanthropological site located in the foothills of the Altai Mountains in Soloneshensky District, Altai Krai in southern Siberia, Russia. The cave…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okladnikov_Cave
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“This is the first time such behavior has been demonstrated outside of Homo sapiens, and it is the oldest example of such behavior by more than 40,000 years.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the dental drilling is reported, the specific claim that this is the 'first time' and 'oldest by 40,000 years' is not independently corroborated by the provided evidence sources; the provided search results for this claim are unrelated (YouTube, etc.).
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web search NEUTRAL — Early modern human, or anatomically modern human,[1] are terms used to distinguish Homo sapiens (the only extant Hominina species) that are anatomically consistent with the range of phenotypes seen in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_modern_human
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web search NEUTRAL — First time trying Bulalo at Good Taste, Baguio! The portion was HUGE, and the flavor blew my mind! Plus, I found a dream homestay with breathtaking vie... Trying Mang Inasal for the First Time – Chine…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdAP0vErpds
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web search NEUTRAL — The use of the normalized difference water index (ndwi) in the delineation of...
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0143116960894871…
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“The damage documented on the Neanderthal tooth from Chagyrskaya Cave in Siberia points not only to intentional pulp removal but also to antemortem wear”
CORROBORATED
This claim is confirmed by both a cross-reference (Nypost) and a web search result, stating the tooth shows both intentional pulp removal and antemortem wear.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “The damage documented on the Neanderthal tooth from Chagyrskaya Cave in Siberia points not only to intentional pulp removal but also to antemortem wear – wear that could only have developed if the in…
https://nypost.com/2026/05/13/science/tooth-shows-cavemen-co…
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web search NEUTRAL — Archaeological discoveries have previously shown that Neanderthals used toothpicks to remove food from their teeth and might also have used medicinal plants.In the centre of the tooth is a deep hole e…
https://us.headtopics.com/news/neanderthal-s-advanced-dental…
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web search NEUTRAL — Chagyrskaya Cave would have served as a residential camp for Neanderthals. The individual with the cavity would have exhibited signs of being in immense pain, possibly unable to chew properly, which c…
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/13/science/neanderthal-denti…
+ 1 more evidence source
help
“Neanderthals arrived in this region 70–60 thousand years ago during a migration from Central and Eastern Europe and inhabited it until at least 40–45 thousand years ago.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results to support or refute the specific migration dates and routes of Neanderthals in this region.
info
“Analysis of stone tool industries and paleogenetic studies have shown that the Neanderthals from Chagyrskaya Cave are very closely related to the bearers of the so-called Micoquian industry, who also lived in the Caucasus and Crimea.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is mentioned in a cross-reference from Nypost, but no other independent sources in the provided evidence confirm the relationship between Chagyrskaya Neanderthals and the Micoquian industry.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — the Neanderthals from Chagyrskaya Cave are very closely related to the bearers of the so-called Micoquian industry, who also lived in the Caucasus and Crimea
https://nypost.com/2026/05/13/science/tooth-shows-cavemen-co…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.