PREHISTORIC DENTISTRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1369, 13 October 1886, Page 3

PREHISTORIC DENTISTRY.

Dr. Martin, of Rome has for some time past been devoting considerable time to examining the shells in the various museums in Italy, and in Etrnacan and Roman tombs; and he gives an account of his investigations in the Independant Practitiorer. la the mins of one of the Etruscan tombs, about the date 600 B c,, he found a partial denture. It was an arrangement for bolduig in position three upper art fidal teeth 1 y banding them to the adjoining natui; I teesh. These teeth wei« carved out < t some large animal’s tooth. Another denture found in an old Roman tomb c< n sista of two natural teetli fastened by means of soft gold bands to the contig--ous teeth. The most recently opened and oldest Etruscan tomb yet dh covered in li.aly was lately excavated at Capadiraonto ; this tomb belonged to the sixth ceniury b c., and amongst a.veral article)! of jewellery a denture, very similar to those above described, was found. Dr Marter was unable to discover any stopped teeth, although many oases of caries and other dental diseases have presented themselves. It is certain that, dentistry must have been extensively practised in the early history of the world, and that gold must have been need largely ; o her wise the early Greek or Roman legislators wcn*d not have mentioned the matter in the celebrated laws of the twelve tables.