Found: 5000-year-old gum
2007-08-20 15:17
London - People in the New Stone Age were already chewing gum, British scientists told the BBC on Monday.
An archaeology student had found a 5 000-year-old piece of gum made from birch resin during excavations in western Finland, Professor Trevor Brown of Derby University in central England said.
Teeth marks on the gum were a particularly important piece of evidence, according to Brown.
Birch resin contains carbolic acid, an antiseptic component acting against inflammations in the mouth.
The gum was possibly also used for mending broken pots.
Sarah Pickin, the 23-year-old who made the discovery, said she was happy about her find and she now intends to continue her research into Stone Age living conditions. - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA