Neolithic Dentistry: Evidence for Tooth Drilling in Neolithic Mehrgarh, Pakistan

By K. Kris Hirst, About.com Guide

This image is Figure 1 from Coppa et al., "Early Neolithic Tradition of Dentistry", published on April 6, 2006 in Nature, a general public version of which describes the results of this investigation into early Neolithic dentistry at the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh, in Pakistan. {br}{br] Maxillary left second molar from an adult male (MR3 90) from Neolithic Mehrgarh. There are two in vivo perforations on the occlusal surface made by a drilling tool that was probably equipped with the same flint head.

• a, The larger,mesio–lingual perforation has a maximum diameter of 1.6 mm; the second, at the centre of the crown, has a maximum diameter of 1.3 mm.
• b, Scanning electron micrograph of their negative replicas, showing that both perforations are slightly inclined mesio–distally and have a similar general shape. The larger perforation is also deeper (1.5 compared with 0.7 mm).
• c, A microtomographic three-dimensional reconstruction of the tooth, with positive virtual casts (top) of the two perforations. The minimum volume of removed enamel and dentine in the mesio–lingual perforation (red) is 1.8mm3; the minimum volume of removed enamel for the smaller perforation (violet) is 0.3mm3.

Scale bars: a, 2.2 mm; b, 1mm; c, 2mm.

L. Bondioli (Museum L. Pigorini, Rome) & R. Macchiarelli (Univ. of Poitiers), published in A. Coppa et al. 2006. Early Neolithic tradition of dentistry. Nature 440(6 April 2006):755-756.