DNA reveals stone age teenager as chewer of 10,500-year-old ‘gum’ | Archaeology
A piece of Stone Age “chewing gum” chewed by a teenage girl 10,500 years ago has been discovered by archaeologists in Estonia.
The Institute of History and Archeology at the University of Tartu found that prehistoric birch tar showed imprints of tooth marks and traces of saliva.
The substance, synthesized by dry distillation of the bark of a birch tree, can also be used as an adhesive.
After extracting DNA from the saliva, the university’s Genomics Institute found that the gum was likely chewed by a girl with brown hair and eyes.
“The institute holds DNA samples from 20% of the Estonian population, providing scientists with a modern genetic comparison to better interpret ancient DNA,” said historian Bettany Hughes.
The discovery was revealed in Hidden Namibia: Land of Fire and Ice, part of Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World documentary series, broadcast on Channel 4 on Saturday.
“Having access to the team’s research was a truly magical moment,” Hughes said. “It shows how a disposable object can bring us face to face with people from the past.
“We now know that people chewed tar – burnt or heated silver birch bark – to relieve toothache and as a glue. It is still used today as an adhesive to seal breaks in tools and pots.”
“We even know [the gum chewer] had brown eyes and brown hair, which I like because it challenges the assumption that Northern Europeans had blond hair and blue eyes. It’s such a relevant yet deeply remarkable thing.
The University of Tartu is analyzing other historical objects from across Estonia, including an 800-year-old cross depicting genitals that make a sound when worn.
The metal cross features a hinged vulva-shaped piece that overlaps and collides with an engraved penis design when moved.
Professor Heiki Valk told Hughes it showed how medieval Estonians integrated pagan fertility symbols into their new Christian faith, adding: “When you wear it, it makes a bright noise. »
In the program, Hughes also examined objects from a skeleton discovered in a 12th-century cemetery in the Estonian village of Kukruse.
The “Lady Kukruse” was in her fifties and buried with fine bronze and silver jewelry, food to eat in the afterlife, a sieve, daggers, and a fertilized bird egg discovered at her feet.
Dr. Ester Oras, the archaeologist who analyzed the eggshell, said: “Someone decided that this particular lady should have this fertilized egg as a grave object to be buried with her. Something to do with perhaps some sort of Christian symbolism and fertilization.”
