ABSTRACT
O ne-and-a-half million years ago, a male Homo erectus lived in the Caucasus Mountains, in what is today the Republic of Georgia. When archaeologists discovered his skull (see Figure 3.1) at the site of Dmanisi, they were surprised to find that he had lost all but one of his teeth, years before he died at the age of 40 (Lordkipanidze et al. 2005). How did he survive without teeth? Did he rely on the compassion of members of his social group for food he could eat? The toothless man from Dmanisi raises many of the fundamental questions that occupy archaeologists studying early human ancestors. What was the nature of their society? How did they get food? How did they use tools?
