Student finds ancient human tooth

On Thursday, July 23, 2015, a 20-year-old student named Valentin Loescher discovered a human tooth during an excavation at the Caune de l’Arago in Tautavel, Pyrénées-Orientales. The incisor, dated to about 560,000 years ago, predates the previously known oldest French individual, the Tautavel Man, by more than 100,000 years.

Site of long-term research

The Caune de l’Arago is a cave located 80 meters above a river, overlooking the Verdouble Valley in the Corbières. Since April 1964, it has been the subject of systematic and annual excavations led by Henry and Marie-Antoinette de Lumley, with teams of young volunteers. These excavations have uncovered evidence of human presence at the site between 690,000 and 95,000 years ago.

Significant human remains found

In the summer of 1971, the team uncovered the famous Arago XXI skull, known as the Tautavel Man. Before 2015, 148 human remains had been cataloged at the site, including teeth, bones, and other elements. The discovery of the new tooth brings the total to more than 150 remains, all dating between 570,000 and 400,000 years.

Tooth identified and analyzed

Valentin Loescher, working with Camille Jacquey, found the tooth among other animal remains, including a horse mandible and a rhinoceros horn. He presented it to Amélie Vialet, a paleoanthropologist leading the excavation. The tooth’s profile was examined using a computer, and the sample was sent to a laboratory for further analysis. It was found in a soil layer dated to more than half a million years.

Importance of the discovery

The tooth, named Arago 149, was found without any other human bones, making it impossible to determine the sex of the individual. The discovery is significant because human fossils from this period are extremely rare in Europe. The tooth is 28,000 times older than Valentin himself, highlighting the vast timescale of human presence in the region.

Research and celebration

The discovery adds to about 600,000 objects found at the site. Scientists believe the tooth will help researchers better understand the physical characteristics of early Europeans. Valentin expressed his excitement, noting that the team celebrates each find with an aperitif, this time with a muscat cube. The 2015 excavation was the 51st conducted by the Tautavel European Center for Prehistoric Research in collaboration with the Paris Institute of Human Paleontology.