Those hip-hop stars with their gold and diamond-encrusted “grills” think they’re so original. But it turns out that “fashionable” teeth adornments can be traced back to Native Americans living 2,500 years ago.
Recent archaeological work by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History has yielded skulls filled with teeth embedded with jewels. The researchers believe these ancient people visited “dentists” armed with surprisingly advanced tools to perform the procedure. Obsidian drills were used to make small holes in the teeth, and the jewels were affixed with a natural glue made from plant sap.
(Source: National Geographic)
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