From correspondents in London
From a local rag:
A BRITISH student archaeologist has
discovered a 5000-year-old piece of chewing
gum.
Sarah Pickin, 23, found the lump of birch
bark tar - complete with Neolithic tooth
prints - on a dig in Finland.
Ms Pickin's tutor at the University of Derby,
Professor Trevor Brown, said birch bark tar
contained phenols, which are antiseptic
compounds.
"It is generally believed that Neolithic
people found that by chewing this stuff if
they had gum infections it helped to treat
the condition. It's particularly significant
because well-defined tooth imprints were
found on the gum which Sarah discovered," he
said.
Ms Pickin was on a volunteer program at the
Kierikki Centre on the west coast of Finland
when she made the find.
More articles here:
Stone Age Chewing Gum Stories
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