DNA Analysis Identifies Stone Age Teenager Who Chewed 10,500-Year-Old ‘Gum’
TALLINN, Estonia – Groundbreaking DNA analysis of a piece of ancient “chewing gum” – fossilized birch bark tar – has revealed insights into teh life of a Stone Age teenager who lived in what is now Estonia approximately 10,500 years ago. The finding, spearheaded by researchers at the University of Tartu, provides a rare glimpse into the genetics, diet, and even physical appearance of individuals from the mesolithic period.
The analysis of the tar,discovered at a Stone Age site in Estonia,not only confirmed its use as a practical adhesive and for relieving toothaches,but also yielded remarkably preserved human DNA. Researchers were able to determine the individual was a female teenager with brown eyes and hair, challenging previous assumptions about the prevalence of fair hair and blue eyes among early Northern Europeans. “This shows how one throwaway item can bring us face to face with the people of the past,” said Dr. hughes, highlighting the meaning of the find.
Beyond genetic traits, the gum revealed traces of the teenager’s diet. The research builds on previous work identifying ancient chewing gum as a valuable source of genetic information, including a 2024 study detailing the diet of other Stone Age individuals. Tartu University is continuing to analyze historic artifacts from across Estonia, including an 800-year-old cross featuring pagan fertility symbols integrated with christian iconography, and artifacts from a 12th-century burial ground in Kukruse, where a woman in her 50s was buried with jewelry, food, and a fertilized bird’s egg. These ongoing investigations promise further revelations about the lives and beliefs of past populations.
