First evidence of artificial pollution was found

Archaeologists claim to have discovered the first evidence of artificial pollution, thanks to plaque on the teeth of an old Stone Age man, 400,000 years ago.

First evidence of artificial pollution

Ancient teeth were found in Qesem Cave near Tel Aviv, Israel, which had been sealed for the past 200 years. Ancient dental plaque, in a state of relatively intact preservation, revealed their owners inhaling smoke while roasting meat inside the residence.

Ancient teeth 400,000 years old were discovered in Qesem Cave, Israel.(Photo: Daily Mail)

Professor Ran Barkai of Tel Aviv University (Israel) said: "This is the first evidence that the world's first smoked barbecue operations have health-related consequences. People who used to live in Qesem not only enjoy the benefits of fire - barbecue in the house, but they also have to find a way to control fire, live with it. "

Although plaque teeth can be detrimental to the health of former Stone Age residents, they also provide evidence of their varied diet. Researchers have discovered tiny traces of essential fatty acids, possibly from nuts or seeds, as well as tiny starch granules in analyzed dental calculus samples.

" We know that ancient people residing in caves eat animals and exploit the source of this food. They hunt animals, kill them, grill them, smash their bones to get marrow and even using hammer-like pieces of bone to shape hard tools, we now have more direct evidence of a small part of their plant-based diet, in addition to meat and fat. animals they have absorbed, " Mr. Barkai emphasized.

Inside the dental plaque, the team also found small pieces of plant fiber they suspected could be used to clean teeth - a prehistoric toothpick.

Professor Barkai said, his findings and his colleagues are rare, because there has never been a similar discovery from specimens at the same time. This is one of the first examples of artificial environmental pollution on our planet.