DNA found on chewing gum chewed by teenagers in the Stone Age and found at a 9,700-year-old archaeological site in Sweden provides information about oral diseases of the time, according to a Swedish study.
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The study by a team of paleontologists at Stockholm University, published in the journal Scientific Reports, also provides information about the diet of these prehistoric hunter-gatherer populations.
“The chewing gum from which the samples were taken was likely chewed by adolescents, girls and boys. There was a certain age at which they did this,” explains Anders Götherström, co-author of the study, in an interview with AFP on Tuesday.
These saliva-soaked pieces of birch bark with tooth marks were found 30 years ago along with bones at the Huseby Klev site, north of the modern city of Gothenburg. It is one of the oldest archaeological sites containing human bones in Scandinavia.
“It is believed that these chewing gums were used like glue to put things together. It is also possible that they chewed them for pleasure or because they believed they had medicinal properties,” the researcher adds.
In 2019, the genetic profile of the individuals was determined through an initial examination of the putty pieces. Now traces of non-human DNA are being revealed.
“What we found was a large number of bacteria, which indicated a severe case of periodontitis, which is a serious infection of the gums,” emphasizes Anders Götherström.
“We know that one of the cases was a young woman who probably lost her teeth after using these gums. That infection must have hurt a lot,” he adds.
The research results also shed light on the diet of this Scandinavian community. A varied diet with hazelnuts, deer and trout. The analyzes also detected traces of apple, duck and fox DNA.
“When we analyze a human bone, we extract human DNA. But what is particularly interesting about these chewing gums is that the traces of what was previously ingested and the bacteria of the person wearing them are present. There is no other way to achieve these results. says Anders Götherström enthusiastically.
“We see the impression left in the chewing gum by the teeth of young people thousands of years ago. For us archaeologists there is also a philosophical dimension, it is the connection between humans, DNA and the artifact,” he concludes.