6,000-Year-Old Chewing Gum Proves Ancient Existence of Young Girl

Home Archaeology 6,000-Year-Old Chewing Gum Proves Ancient Existence of Young Girl

Archaeology

By Trista - January 17, 2020

Chewing gum: you simply cannot go anywhere these days without finding someone chomping down on a piece. Whether it is to freshen up your breath after a meal or to get rid of hunger pains, chewing gum has been used for a myriad of reasons since it was invented. Not surprisingly, 6,000 years ago, chewing gum was used for a completely different purpose than it is used today. In the past, chewing gum was made using birch bark tar and was primarily used for medicinal purposes. However, that is not the only significance to ancient chewing gum: it can also tell us about the people who lived during that time.

Recently, a piece of chewing gum was discovered and analyzed: the results showed that the gum came from a girl who lived 6,000 years ago. Want to unravel the mystery? Continue reading to learn about this ancient chewing gum that proved a young girl’s entire existence.

6,000-Year-Old Chewing Gum Proves Ancient Existence of Young Girl — *Denmark has a lot of historical sites that are being re-examined today. Photo Credit: Quatrox Production/Shutterstock*

1. It All Started In Denmark

This country is the site where ancient chewing gum was found. Researchers found a piece of birch bark gum in an archaeological site; the area is a seaside marshland located in the southern part of the country. The gum was discovered during an exploration of the Danish Lolland, which is a significant Stone Age site that holds great significance.

Lolland is the fourth largest island in Denmark and has a unique way of preserving ancient materials. Everything on the island is sealed in a layer of mud, which is what was able to preserve the genetic material in the chewing gum that was found. Lolland is also home to the most extensive Stone Age site in Denmark, and a study of the area suggests that those who were present all those years ago exploited the area of its natural resources, right up until the Neolithic period, which was when farming and domesticated animals were introduced in the area.

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2. The Proof Is In The Genome

Because the gum was so well preserved in the mud, researchers were able to decode the girl’s entire genome. This test is the first time scientists have been able to glean so much information from such material: usually, scientists need bone or teeth in order to obtain enough genetic information to sequence a genome. Understanding the genome of an organism is crucial: a genome provides all of the genetic information encoded in DNA. It can give you hints on what illnesses the person may have fallen victim to as well as diet and habits.

This one is not the first encounter with ancient chewing gum: in 2018, Natalia Kashuba led a team of researchers in Sweden who analyzed three wads of gum that were estimated at being 10,000 years old. They explained that extracting DNA from the gum is a lot like extracting DNA from feces. The gum from the Lolland site was also processed by Kashuba’s team; they were able to not only sequence her genome but also able to analyze the bacteria in her mouth, which suggested Lola (the name given to the girl who spits out the gum) had a diet similar to that of a hunter-gatherer society.

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3. A Girl ‘Named’ Lola

As stated previously, researchers have dubbed the gum spitter Lola, possibly due to where her ancient material was located. From the DNA extracted from the birch bark, scientists have been able to compile a composite image of what the girl may have looked like: the girl was most likely to have had dark hair, dark skin, and blue eyes. Again, she would have lived life closer to that of the hunter-gatherer than a farmer. Her last meal: was hazelnuts, eels, and duck. It was also concluded that the girl had once suffered from the Epstein-Barr virus, which is known to cause mononucleosis.

You may be wondering why she was chewing gum at all? Back in her time, the birch bark was used mostly for tool-making. She was probably sitting down to make some tools by using the birch bark as glue for sticking wooden handles onto stone blades. What is unclear is why she never used this particular piece of material for her work: she simply spat it out on the ground next to her. Some interesting information was discovered from examining the gum, including the fact that Lola was lactose intolerant.

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4. What Is Birch Pitch?

Since ancient chewing gum was actually birch pitch, it might be worth exploring what exactly it was used for and how it was made. Let us start with how it is made: birch bark is taken from a tree and heated until it becomes black tar. How was this accomplished? Birch bark was rolled up tightly into sheets and covered in ash (this was to ensure that no oxygen goes to the inside of the sheets) before embers from a fire were added on top. It can then be used as glue; back then, it was used mostly in the creation of tools and weapons. It was not uncommon for individuals to chew the gum, making it more pliable and easier to work with. The birch bitch was also believed to have healing properties; therefore, it could be chewed to heal mouth wounds or reduce pain in the mouth.

What is interesting is that other gum samples have been found with children’s teeth marks present. They certainly were not trying to use the gum in the way that Lola was. So why were they chewing it? Scientists speculate that gum could have been used in ways it is today–out of boredom or hunger.

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5. Lola’s Habitat

Best estimates place Lola as living in a small fishing village in southern Denmark. The village was dubbed Syltholm by modern archaeologists. The village is thought to have been near a coastal lagoon that was protected by the Baltic Sea due to the presence of sandy barrier islands. Due to the proximity to the water, it can be ascertained that Lola and her people utilized the surrounding waters for resources: namely fish and drinking water. It would not have been uncommon for her to use weirs to trap fish and then use spears to kill them.

Why was Lola’s chewing gum so well preserved? The environment in which she lived was deficient in oxygen: the layers of mud, silt, and sand created that oxygen-free condition. Oxygen naturally degrades DNA: it happens inside your body all of the time. Oxygen from other sources, such as radiation, can also cause damage to DNA. Damage to DNA caused by oxygen can create a myriad of problems, including arthritis, heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and neurological disorders. Most of the time, the body can fix the damage oxygen has caused before any disease or disorder occurs.

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6. All About the Microbes

Not only was Lola’s entire genome sequenced, but different microbes were also detected in the chewing gum sample. Some of the microbes uncovered are naturally occurring in the mouth: some bacteria found in the mouth are known to combat tooth decay. The team also uncovered bacteria in the sample that would have caused periodontal disease. Aside from these microbes, Lola also carried a few bacteria that are known to cause pneumonia. Even though scientists identified 26 different virulence factors inside the chewing gum, they were unable to determine the overall health status of Lola.

What is interesting is that the bacteria discovered in the chewing gum are similar to the bacteria in the mouths of humans today: the same bacteria that comprise our plaque and rest on the tip of our tongues are the same type of bacteria Lola had in her mouth at the time she was chewing the birch bark. One of the bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis, is known to cause gum disease. In all, it was discovered that 40 different microbes were contained within the sample. Another interesting fact comes in the form of what scientists did not find in Lola’s mouth: completely absent were microbes that cause tooth cavities.

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7. A Farming Area

With the introduction of farming to Denmark, diets naturally began to change. However, farming did not come to the area as quickly as it did in others. Farming would have been introduced around the time that Lola lived in her fishing village. Though it may have taken some time to be introduced to the area, once farming came into the picture, people picked it up quickly. It is still unclear whether the hunter-gatherers of the time naturally adopted farming or if it was introduced by some outside source.

Why do we mention this topic at all? Lola’s genome seems to indicate that she was not related to the farmers in the area at the time. Instead, she was more closely linked to the hunter-gatherer groups present during that time. Her ancestors came to Denmark roughly 12,000 years ago. Due to the fact that diets changed with the advent of farming, some scientists do not believe that chewing gum can definitively determine the chewer’s diet or oral microbiome. One scientist, in particular, Laura Weyrich, does not believe in the validity of examining chewing gum: she believes that the sample is too contaminated with microbes from the saliva and the tongue to be able to reach any reliable conclusions.

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8. Lola’s Chewing Gum

The preservation of this sample is unprecedented: it is as well preserved as some of the skull bones that have been uncovered (no such remains have been found at the same site where Lola’s gum was uncovered). Aside from being placed in an oxygen-free environment, the gum was found intact because the birch bark contains water-resistant properties. Along with this, chewing gum also has antiseptic properties that kept bacteria from decaying the material.

Why the sample was even discovered in the first place is interesting. Excavation of the site began in 2012 due to tunnel construction, thus prompting officials to dig up anything they could find of significant value. From the gum, it was determined that Lola might have been a child since most gum found during that era were all imprinted with children’s teeth marks. Three other ancient chewing gum samples, from 10,000 years ago, were discovered in Sweden and were also examined in the same manner as Lola’s sample. In these samples, there was a clear impression of milk teeth, suggesting that the individuals who chewed on them would be between the ages of five and eighteen.

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9. Her Physical Traits and Migration

As we stated earlier, from the old piece of chewing gum, it was determined that Lola had dark skin, dark hair, and blue eyes. What is interesting is that this same combination of traits was found in Mesolithic Europe. (This is not so much the case anymore, with modern Europeans having much lighter skin than their ancestors). This notion means that Lola would have been more genetically related to Belgians and Spaniards rather than Swedes. It gives some clues as to how Scandinavia was populated throughout the years.

The finding of the old chewing gum supported the theory that there were two waves of colonization of Scandinavia. Both waves occurred after the ice sheets had melted, which took place between 12,000 and 11,000 years ago. One route was southern, and the other was northeastern. Both took place on what today would be Norwegian’s coast. It is believed that these migrants were responsible for introducing farming to the area. Although there is no evidence of these “farming” genes in Lola’s genome, it would have been almost impossible for the two groups to avoid each other.

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10. An Ancient Diet

As stated earlier, the last meal Lola ingested was duck and hazelnuts. Why is this important? It is further proof that she was most likely a hunter-gather than a farmer, relying on natural resources around her instead of growing her own sustenance. More evidence comes in the fact that the entire site where the gum was found is littered with physical remains of fish rather than remains of domesticated plants or animals. Thus, it is more likely that the area was populated with pockets of hunter-gatherers that coexisted with bands of farmers.

Lola’s lactose intolerance is also essential when it comes to her diet: this was actually common among hunter-gatherers. They simply had not been exposed to any sort of dairy, other than possibly breast milk at birth. Tolerance of the dairy substance happened after farming became the norm during the Neolithic period. Farming brought with it the domestication of both cows and goats, which both provided milk for consumptizon. Obviously, this occurred after Lola’s gum had been deposited because she never developed a tolerance, as evidenced by the ancient chewing gum. Why her people did not transition to a farming lifestyle remains a mystery.

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11. Uses Of Ancient Chewing Gum

One of the most important uses of birch pitch was as an adhesive, as mentioned earlier. Birch pitch could be used almost like glue, so putting together tools was easier and more effective. Birch pitch had to be chewed on in order to become workable as glue. Another use was as an antiseptic, which means that it could be used to stop the growth of certain bacteria. Lola gives us evidence of that: her mouth microbiome showed evidence of bacteria that causes gum and periodontal disease, which points to another reason why she could have been gnawing on the substance.

Another everyday use of birch pitch was to clean teeth since the toothbrush had not been invented in Lola’s time. If it can kill bacteria, it can clean your mouth pretty effectively. People also used it for reasons we chew gum today, such as getting rid of hunger pains, because there is nothing better to do, or because they simply liked the taste of birch pitch, which has quite a bitter taste to it. Whether Lola was chewing on birch pitch for the taste, to help ease her mouth pain, or to make tools is still up for debate.

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12. Thanks to Streptococcus pneumonie

Now that we understand the basics of the findings surrounding Lola’s piece of gum let us take a closer look at some of the bacteria that were found within this sample. One of importance is Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is known to cause pneumonia. Other diseases associated with this particular bug are bacteremia and meningitis. However, pneumonia is the most common presentation of bacterial infection. Bacteremia only occurs if the bug enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. Meningitis happens only after the bacteria have reached the brain and spinal column, which are both rare occurrences.

Though there are not any precise numbers as to how many people back in Lola’s time suffered from pneumonia, what is clear is that infections today with this bacteria are widespread. Furthermore, since our mouth microbiome has not changed much in the past 6,000 years, it would not be surprising if many people back then suffered as well. Even with the invention of medications and vaccines to combat the disease, there are roughly 50,000 deaths per year in the United States from pneumonia. Since population densities were smaller 6,000 years ago, it is doubtful that as many perished from the disease as would today.

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13. And the Epstein-Barr Virus

Another striking discovery in Lola’s oral microbiome was the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus. The virus belongs to the same family of viruses as herpes. The virus is found all over the world, even today; it could be possible that migrants in Lola’s area brought the virus with them. Most people become infected with the virus at some point in their life. Transmission occurs most commonly through infected saliva, suggesting that whoever gave Lola the virus was very close to her. Even after the sickness associated with the virus has passed, a previously infected person will carry the virus around in their body for the rest of their life.

Though harmless to most people who carry the virus, if a person does become ill, they can come down with a disease called mononucleosis. This presentation often occurs in teenagers but can happen at any age. Mononucleosis affects the lymph nodes, throat, salivary glands, liver, spleen, and blood. It generally makes you feel tired and achy and hinders your appetite. The Epstein-Barr virus can also lead to Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a form of cancer) and multiple sclerosis (a disease affecting the nervous system).

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14. Porphyromonas gingivalis is Still Common Today

As discussed previously, this bacterium is known to cause periodontal disease and was also present in the chewing gum sample. Periodontal disease weakens the tissue surrounding the teeth, which eventually leads to tooth loss. Though multiple organisms can lead to periodontal disease, Porphyromonas gingivalis is the bacteria that most commonly cause the disease. A healthy person generally has a low count of these bacteria in their mouth at any given time. Due to the fact that Lola had a high amount of this bacteria in her sample, it is most likely she had been suffering from periodontal disease.

It seems that periodontal disease began to soar around the time that farming was introduced, due to the increase in consumption of wheat and barley. However, again, there is no substantial evidence that Lola was farming around the time she deposited her sample into the ground. Even though she may not have done any farming for herself, it is possible that she encountered farmers who were willing to trade goods. Lola’s people might have needed the extra calories from domesticated plants if they had a particularly rough year. Again, it is also quite possible that Lola’s tribe delved into farming after her sample was deposited.

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15. Tannerella forsythia Hurts the Teeth

Though this bacterium is challenging to study, it has been discovered that this pathogen causes periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is quite common throughout the United States, with all age groups being affected. The disease occurs either after the host has an immune response to the bacteria or virulence factors are released from the bacteria into the oral cavity. Periodontal disease can either be a fleeting issue, or it can persist and stick around for a while. If left untreated, it can lead to the degradation of periodontal ligaments and alveolar bone.

What is interesting about Tannerella forsythia is that it cannot exist without the presence of some other bacteria, one of which is Porphyromonas gingivalis. Tannerella forsythia needs N-acetylmuric acid in order to grow (it is a vital component of this pathogen’s cell wall): it literally cannot survive without the presence of this acid. In essence, Tannerella forsythia cannot cause periodontal disease unless Porphyromonas gingivalis is already present. If Tannerella forsythia is present, it is most likely indicative of destructive periodontal disease. From this, it was evident that Lola had a complicated case of periodontal disease, which could explain why she was chewing on the birch pitch.

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16. More Bacteria Called Treponema denticola Was Found On the Gum

This is the third and final bacteria found within Lola’s oral cavity that also points to a diagnosis of periodontal disease. Treponema denticola can precipitate early-onset periodontitis, necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, and acute pericoronitis. If Treponema denticola is found in abundance with other bacteria, such as Tannerella forsythia in pockets of the gums, it can mean bad news for the patient. This combination of pathogens can leave periodontal cells open to lysis and damage. Lola had the trifecta of bacteria that, in combination, causes the worst form of periodontal disease. Birch pitch may have been her only means of relief from the amount of pain she was in.

With the presence of flagella, this pathogen is hugely mobile within the oral cavity, which means it can cause damage across the entire mouth. It is a pretty common bacterium found in the mouth as it spends most of its time living in the plaque on teeth. But again, if it is found alongside other bacteria that cause periodontal disease, it makes the disease worse. Interestingly enough, in order to begin the onset of periodontal disease, Treponema denticola must also be in the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

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17. 10,000-Year-Old Chewing Gum

Lola, it seems, is not the only one to leave behind a chewing gum sample. These particular samples (three in total) are believed to be from the Mesolithic or Stone Age period in Scandinavia, not too far from where Lola’s sample was discovered. The sample was made of the same substance as Lola’s gum, suggesting that the material was used for thousands of years, reliably. This particular gum specimen was uncovered in Huseby Klev, a known Mesolithic site in western Sweden.

The site where the chewing gum pieces were unearthed was also littered with the remains of raw material used in the production of stone blades, suggesting that the area was dedicated to tool making. This idea would indicate that these particular samples were used to make some sort of tool, rather than being used to fight off periodontal disease, as seems the case for Lola.

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18. Genetics and Tools

The DNA of the three chewing gum samples was compared to other samples found in Scandinavia around roughly the same time. Findings show that genetically speaking, these 10,000-year-old samples were similar to other hunter-gatherers in Sweden at the time and also to early Mesolithic populations from Ice Age Europe. In contrast, researchers at the excavation site also found tools, but these were from Russia, not Scandinavia. This concept would suggest that these two cultures had to have come in contact with one another.

While the prehistoric people might have been more closely related to individuals from the Western and Southern regions of Europe, the tools that were found came from Eastern Europe. It only means that, at some point, the two cultures interacted: it does not mean that they share any heritage. This notion suggests that the people of Scandinavia have diverse origins, not just one. Sadly, no other genetic information is available on the three samples found in Sweden: we do not have any indication of what their diet may have consisted of, what they looked like, or if they suffered from any diseases or disorders.

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19. Who Made the Tools?

Another exciting discovery around the three samples of chewing gum found in Sweden is who actually chewed the gum. After being analyzed, it was determined that, of the three samples, two had come from females, and one had come from a male. This one goes against what researchers believed to be true: that women were not involved in this line of work, that women could only be used as gatherers and child rearers. Now there is solid proof that women were often involved in the tool-making process.

Nevertheless, another interesting finding is that children would also take part in tool making: embedded in the samples were indentations from milk teeth, indicating that younger children had chewing gum in their mouths. It may be that children wanted to be involved and so they were dedicated to making the birch pitch workable. Since life expectancy was not as long back in those days as it is today, it makes sense that every individual in the tribe would contribute to the sustainability of the community.

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20. More Interesting Facts About the DNA

To round out this article, it would be a good idea to fit in some random tidbits about the Sweden findings that do not seem to fit in anywhere else. First off, the site where the chewing gum samples were uncovered was home to a hunter-fisher society, which comes pretty close to the kind of life and environment Lola would have lived through. A lot of the bones at the excavation site had experienced too much degradation to be of any help when it comes to DNA samples; thus, it was a miracle when researchers found they could examine pieces of chewing gum that still contained viable DNA.

What is so strange about the site is that it was initially discovered and excavated back in the 1990s. However, the technology was not advanced enough at the time for scientists to extract and decode DNA sequences. Samples were kept in storage for 30 years before they were taken out and re-examined. This notion means these chewing gum samples are the oldest known DNA samples of this time period from Scandinavia.

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