Abstract: Analysis of dental calculus is increasinglyimportant in archaeology, although the focushas hitherto been on dietary reconstruction. Non-edible material has, however, recentlybeen extracted from the dental calculus of aNeanderthal population from the 49 000-year-old site of El Sidrón, Spain, in theform of fibre and chemical compounds thatindicate conifer wood. Associated dental wearconfirms that the teeth were being used fornon-dietary activities. These results highlightthe importance of dental calculus as a sourceof wider biographical information, anddemonstrate the need to include associateddata within research, in particular toothwear, to maximise this valuable resource.

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