(left) UZH; (Right) 0 / Creative Commons
most famous mummy of Europe was not only a medical disorder; he also had terrible teeth, according to a new study. Ötzi (photo inset), a Stone Age man who died atop a glacier there are about 5300 years, has suffered from the disease and serious gum cavities. His teeth, front and rear, were also heavily damaged chewing coarse and use it as a "third hand" for tools and gripping cup. When Ötzi was discovered atop a glacier on the Austro-Italian border, his frozen body was extensively studied. But no one has taken a close look at his teeth so far. Using 3D computer tomography (CAT scan), the mouth of the Hunter could be examined for clues about the life he led. The results, published this week in the European Journal of Oral Sciences , suggest that Ötzi was not easy. A fall or other accident killed one of his front teeth, discolored even millennia later. And he may have had a small stone, unnoticed in their bread or oatmeal with whole grains, thanks to a broken molar. This oatmeal may be the culprit behind the Ötzi cavities and gum disease, too. (An arrow on the right in the CAT scan above the marks of where the bone is eaten away by infection, the left arrow to deep cavities.) In the end of the Stone Age, humans were increasingly incorporate coarsely ground grain in their diet. The slight increase in starches, the researchers suggest, may explain the increasing incidence of cavities in the teeth of time a problem that has been with us since.
See Science Shots
0 Komentar