Nearly ever Pavlovian dental record shows signs of abrasion. Credit: John WillmanShareA group of Ice Age hunter-gatherers living in central Europe may have adorned their faces with cheek piercings at as early as six-years-old. Although the author of a recent study published in the Journal of Paleolithic Archeology isnt the only researcher to suggest the theory, he may be the first to link it to a longtime mysterythe curious dental wear-and-tear found in nearly every dental set recovered from the 29,000-year-old community.Named after the Pavlov Hills region across northern Austria and southern Poland, the Pavlovians were an Upper Paleolithic culture known for their sophisticated stone age technology and tools. Archeologists have recovered numerous artifacts like spearheads, digging tools, and needles made from bone since the groups discovery in 1952. These also include skeletal remains such as well-preserved teeth, many of which display an inexplicable detailmost adolescents and nearly all adults show signs of abrasion on either one or both cheek sides. As Gizmodo explained on Tuesday, researchers have since offered multiple theories about the damage, including the use of pebbles to induce salivation and help with thirst.But according to John Willman, a biological anthropologist at the University of Coimbras Laboratory of Prehistory (CIAS) in Portugal, the damage may have come from the aftereffects of a cultural rite of passage.While working on my Ph.D. thesis, I was fascinated by the strange wear on the surfaces of the canines and cheek teeth of individuals from Pavlovian sites. In addition to normal wear on the chewing surface of teeth, they have flat wear planes on their buccal (cheek) surfaces, Willman wrote in an accompanying post to his personal blog.Willman went on to explain that the enamel wear reminded him of similar results caused by some facial piercings, particularly labrets. He also noticed interesting evidence pointing to teeth crowding and rotation that he believes may have been caused by pressure from the piercings.Basically the opposite of what happens if you wear braces or [a] retainer to straighten your own teeth, he wrote.After analyzing dental records, Willman noted Palovians may have begun receiving labret piercings since they were between 6 and 10 years old, with additional piercings added as they got older as part of cultural rites of passage. But one major missing piece (or pieces) remainsthe piercing jewelry itself. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.One of the most difficult parts of accepting the hypothesis I put forth for labret use is that we dont have any labrets in the burials! he wrote on Monday.However, that is likely to be expected, given the time period. Willman theorizes the piercings may have used perishable materials like leather or wood, or that they were passed down among the community instead of buried with individuals. In the meantime, Willman shared his hopes that similar artifacts may be found in other cultures that support the hypothesis.Whatever the cause of the strange dental wear is, it is clear that Pavlovian people shared in a behavior that produced it, and this is pretty remarkable in [its] own right, he said.