Molise

The tooth, discovered at the Isernia la Pineta site, belonged to a child about 5 years old, and is, to date, the only human artefact found at the site. It is also the oldest tooth attributed to the genus Homo sp. discovered in Italy to date, and in the image above, it can be viewed from five different angles.

The fossil, dated to approximately 600.000 years ago, has been provisionally assigned to an unidentified species of the genus Homo sp.; however, based on its chronological context, it is plausible to assign it to the species Homo sp. heidelbergensis.

Despite its small size, the tooth has provided highly significant information: a recent study of its composition revealed that, during the stages of enameal formation that took place in utero, the child’s mother was already in the area where the tooth was found. This finding suggests that, at least during pregnancy, the mobility of the human group to which she belonged was limited.

This is very important information, which fits into the still-hotly debated context of the early dispersal of the Homo sp. genus from Africa to Europe. In this still-uncertain scenario, even the smallest artefact provides crucial evidence for understanding the behaviours of prehistoric human groups.