How dentistry helped solve an ancient murder

It’s the stuff that you love to watch on Netflix with the lights turned down. It revolves around a murder mystery from long ago that there were plenty of ideas about, but no concrete proof of exactly what happened and why. There were plenty of guesses and theories, but it took dentistry to crack the case of an 800,000-year-old cannibalistic murder.

You read that right. It’s been 800,000 years since some of our ancestors (complete with a taste for human flesh) killed someone who has been known as “The Boy of Gran Dolina” for years. However, thanks to dentistry and modern technology, we now know not only more about exactly what happened, but also that “The Boy of Gran Dolina” is actually “The Girl of Gran Dolina.”

Yes, thanks to the examination of teeth, we know more about the person’s identity and her correct gender. We also know that the young female was also part of a cannibalistic society and may well have met her fate that way as well.

It’s a fascinating story, complete with pictures and details. You can read all about it by clicking here.

Note: Image courtesy of CENIEH.

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Kevin Henry

Kevin Henry

With more than 20 years in the dental publishing industry, Kevin Henry is the former group editorial director for Dental Products Report, managing editor for Dental Economics, and editor-in-chief for DrBicuspid.com. He now serves as the co-founder for IgniteDA, a community designed to empower, enlighten, and educate dental assistants, and as director of marketing for Fortune Management. He has spoken to dental assistants throughout the world, in person and through the Dental Assistant Nation podcast series, reminding them of the important role they play every day in their practice. He is also certified as a DiSC trainer, helping dental practices learn how to understand each other better through personality assessments and training.