Episode 369

A strange tooth found in a Siberian cave has pushed back the earliest evidence of dentistry by 45,000 years. The weird thing is, the evidence comes from a Neanderthal tooth - upending what we thought these ancient humans were capable of.

Markings on the 60,000-year-old molar show Neanderthals may have used stone tools to “drill” the tooth to treat dental decay. A team of scientists has recreated the experience - and it sounds gruesome.

And that’s not all for Neanderthal news - as archaeologists have discovered an ancient kneeprint made in clay around 175,000 years ago. It was found in a cave containing a mysterious stalagmite circle that may have been deliberately constructed. Could this suggest Neanderthals were engaging in some sort of religious practice?

Rowan Hooper and Penny Sarchet are joined by New Scientist’s Sam Wong and Michael le Page to discuss these two discoveries

Listen to Change Your Mind, the new podcast from New Scientist: https://podfollow.com/1896636265 
To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

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