9,000-Year-Old Dental Drill Is Found-in now Pakistan

[Guest guest]

needles, catheters, rectal speculums. He also defined various methods of

stiching, the use of horses' hair, fine thread, fibers of bark, goat's guts and

ants' heads. In his compendium "Shushruta Samhita" he minutely classifies

surgery into eight types: Aahaaryam (Exracting solid bodies), Bhedyam

(excision), Chhedyam (incision), Aeshyma (probing), Lekhyam (sacrification),

Vedhyam (puncturing), Visraavyam (evacuating fluids), and Sivyam (Suturing).

The ancient Indians were firs to carry out amputation, caesarian sections, and

cranical surgery. siaram My Mail Make

your home page News Home - Help Search: All News &

Blogs News Only News Photos Video/Audio Advanced 9,000-Year-Old

Dental Drill Is Found By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer 2 hours, 1

minute ago WASHINGTON - Proving prehistoric man's ingenuity and ability to

withstand and inflict excruciating pain, researchers have found that dental

drilling dates back 9,000 years. Primitive dentists drilled

nearly perfect holes into live but undoubtedly unhappy patients between 5500

B.C. and 7000 B.C., an article in Thursday's journal Nature reports.

Researchers carbon-dated at least nine skulls with 11 drill holes found in a

Pakistan graveyard. That means dentistry is at least 4,000 years

older than first thought — and far older than the useful invention of

anesthesia. This was no mere tooth tinkering. The drilled teeth found in the

graveyard were hard-to-reach molars. And in at least one instance, the ancient

dentist managed to drill a hole in the inside back end of a tooth, boring out

toward the front of the mouth. The holes went as deep as one-seventh of an inch

(3.5 millimeters). "The holes were so perfect, so nice," said study co-author

David Frayer, an anthropology professor at the University of Kansas. "I showed

the pictures to my dentist and he thought they were amazing holes." How it was

done is painful just to think about. Researchers figured that a small bow was

used to drive the flint drill tips into patients' teeth. Flint drill heads were

found on site. So study lead author Roberto Macchiarelli, an anthropology

professor at the University of Poitiers, France, and colleagues simulated the

technique and drilled through human (but no longer attached) teeth in less than

a minute. "Definitely it had to be painful for the patient," Macchiarelli said.

Researchers were impressed by how advanced the society was in Pakistan's

Baluchistan province. The drilling occurred on ordinary men and women. The

dentistry, probably evolved from intricate ornamental bead drilling that was

also done by the society there, went on for about 1,500 years until about 5500

B.C., Macchiarelli said. After that, there were no signs of drilling.

Macchiarelli and Frayer said the drilling was likely done to reduce the pain of

cavities. Macchiarelli pointed to one unfortunate patient who had a tooth

drilled twice. Another patient had three teeth drilled. Four drilled teeth

showed signs of cavities. No sign of fillings were found, but there could have

been an asphalt-like substance inside, he said. Dr. Richard Glenner, a

Chicago dentist and author of dental history books, wouldn't bite on the idea

that this was good dentistry. The drilling could have been decorative or to

release "evil spirits" more than fighting tooth decay, he said, adding, "Why

did they do it? No one will ever know." Macchiarelli said the hard-to-see

locations of the drilled teeth in jaws seem to rule out drilling for decorative

purposes. Frayer said the prehistoric drillers' skill is something modern-day

patients can use to lord over their dentists. "This may be something to tell

your dentist: If these people 9,000 years ago could make a hole this perfect in

less than a minute," Frayer said, "what are they doing?" Email Story IM

Story Discuss Printable View RECOMMEND THIS STORY Recommend It:

Average (211

votes) » Recommended Stories Full Coverage: Anthropology and Archaeology

Off the Wires Huge 1,500-year-old pyramid discovered in Mexico Reuters, 58

minutes ago Roman-Era Burial Cave Unearthed in Lebanon AP, Tue Apr 4, 8:47 PM

ET Feature Articles A gospel's rocky path from Egypt's desert to print at

Christian Science Monitor, Mar 07 Scientists unearth 'Pompeii of the East' at

Christian Science Monitor, Mar 02 News Stories Ancient skull found in

Ethiopia at BBC, Mar 27 British Museum returns aboriginal ashes to Tasmania

at CBC, Mar 26 Opinion & Editorials Evolution: The story of man at The

Economist, Dec 23 Apart from vomitoriums and orgies, what did the Romans do

for us? at The Guardian (UK)., Oct 29 Science News Scientists Get Clues

on How Planets Form AP Fossil Fish Sheds Light on Transition AP Cats Seen at

Risk in Bird Flu Zones AP New Dinosaur Resembles Large Turkey AP Brace for

another bad hurricane season: scientists AFP Most Viewed - Science Huge

1,500-year-old pyramid discovered in Mexico Reuters Jesus may have walked on

ice? Reuters Jesus Could Have Walked on Ice, Scientist Says SPACE.com /

LiveScience.com Alcohol cloud is 463 billion kilometres long AFP Planets

might form from dead stars Reuters Elsewhere on the Web

CNN.comScientists crack mystery of planet formation CNN.comPrehistoric trip

to the dentist had to hurt USATODAY.comWhat's behind the solar system's

biggest light shows MOST POPULAR Popular Science The most popular

science news stories and photos. » All Most Popular ! SEARCH More News

in Search Premium subscription news content now in

Search. » Learn More - My - Mail Search: All News &

Blogs News Only News Photos Video/Audio Advanced Primary Navigation

Home U.S Business World Entertainment Sports Tech Politics Science

Health Travel Most Popular Odd News Opinion Copyright © 2006 The

Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News

report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the

prior written authority of The Associated Press. Copyright © 2006

Inc. All rights reserved.Questions or CommentsPrivacy Policy -Terms of Service

- Copyright/IP Policy - Ad Feedback

and p37.news.re2.. -->

Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates.