The First Dentists in History

9000 years ago Neolithic farmers in South Asia knew how to fix teeth

A terracotta female figurine from Mehrgarh, possibly associated with fertility. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

In 2006, the journal Nature reported on an exciting discovery. Nine humans who died between 7500 and 9000 years ago had dental crowns drilled while alive. This was the earliest evidence of dentistry in the world. When people started farming and settling in the Indian subcontinent, a few farmers figured out how to fix teeth. The scientific breakthrough was remarkable for its time.

Who were they?

Scientists found the bodies of prehistoric people with dental work at an archaeological site called Mehrgarh in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The innovative residents had known dentistry since the Neolithic era (10,000 BC to 4500 BC). During the Chalcolithic period (also known as the Eneolithic or Copper Age, from 5000 BC to 2900 BC), they became expert metal workers, discovering the lost wax casting process.

The site was first settled around 7000 BC and was abandoned in 2600 BC, makin…