On Tuesday, researchers disclosed that the Stone Age diet and oral health were illuminated by DNA extracted from a variation of “chewing gum” used by adolescents in Sweden 10,000 years ago.
Birch bark pitch, a black resin that resembles tar, is the primary component of the gum wads. They are combined with saliva, and traces of teeth are visible.
One of the nation’s earliest locations for human fossils, the Huseby Klev archaeological site, was where they were discovered alongside bones 9,700 years ago. The site is situated in western Sweden, to the north of Gothenburg.
According to Anders Gotherstrom, co-author of a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the hunter-gatherers likely chewed the resin “to be used as glue” to construct tools and weapons.
He explained to AFP that they may have been consumed for aesthetic purposes or because they were believed to possess medicinal properties. This is the most likely hypothesis.
In general, the gum was chewed by both male and female adolescents.
A diverse selection of chewing gum samples was present in the vicinity, and both genders employed them. “Gotherstrom observed that the preponderance of them were nibbled by tweens.” “It was of a certain age, of a certain nature.”
The genetic profile of the individuals who consumed the gum was mapped in a previous 2019 study.
Gotherstrom and his team of paleontologists at Stockholm University were once again able to infer that the Stone Age diet of the adolescents consisted of hazelnuts, deer, and trout by utilizing the DNA found in the saliva.
Also, traces of pears, geese, and foxes were identified.
“Human DNA can be obtained by generating a human bone.” A small quantity will be obtained after the teeth are extracted. Nevertheless, Gotherstrom stated, “We will extract DNA from the animal’s previous gnawing material.” “No other method can be used to acquire that.”
According to Dr. Andrés Aravena, a scientist at Istanbul University who dedicated a significant amount of time to computer-based data analysis, the process of identifying the numerous species present in the DNA was challenging.
In order to differentiate between the diverse species and organisms, a multitude of computationally intensive analytical instruments were necessary. “Although the tools we required were not yet prepared for use with ancient DNA, we dedicated a significant amount of time to modifying them in order to facilitate their application,” Aravena stated in a statement.
Furthermore, the researchers found that at least one of the adolescents exhibited substantial oral health complications. In a single piece of gum that an adolescent female chewed, researchers identified “a number of bacteria indicative of a severe case of periodontitis,” a severe gum infection.
“She is likely to experience tooth loss in the short term as a result of consuming this chewing gum.” Gotherstrom stated, “It was almost undoubtedly the cause of pain.”
“The imprint of the adolescent who ingested it several millennia ago is carried by you.” He elaborated, “If you desire to incorporate a philosophical dimension, it establishes a connection between human DNA, artifacts, and DNA.”
In 2019, scientists created an image of a woman using the DNA extracted from chewing gum that was 5,700 years old. She was likely a native of the Danish island of Syltholm on Lolland, which is located in the Baltic Sea. She had brown hair, blue eyes, and an olive complexion. The woman was addressed as “Lola” by the scientist.
For the first time, researchers at the time reported that an entire archaic human genome had been extracted from a material other than human bone.
