Photo: 9,000-Year-Old Drilled Teeth Are Work of Stone Age Dentists



A drilled human tooth found in a Stone Age graveyard in Pakistan suggests that dentistry was practiced as much as 9,000 years ago. Archaeologists found 11 drilled teeth belonging to nine individuals in the cemetery. The purpose of the drilling remains unclear.

Photograph courtesy Roberto Macchiarelli/Nature


NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS

ADVERTISEMENT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S PHOTO OF THE DAY

50 Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.