A museum-shelf mystery reveals 6,500-year-old human tooth pendant in Serbia
Archaeologists in Serbia have identified a 6,500-year-old human tooth found at the Vinča cultural site of Jablanica as a piece of jewelry rather than an animal bead. This discovery is the first reliably documented human tooth ornament from the Neolithic central Balkans.
Why it matters
The finding provides unique insights into the burial and symbolic practices of one of Europe's largest prehistoric societies.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Human canine likely used as a piece of jewelry found at Jablanica. Credit: N. Marković More than 6,500 years ago, someone carefully drilled a hole in a human tooth, strung it on a cord and likely used it as a necklace. Found during field surveys at the Vinča cultural site of Jablanica in Serbia, the human tooth was originally misidentified as an animal tooth bead until archaeologist Nemanja Marković and his colleague Ana Maričić took a closer look.
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