Oldest Piece of Gum
A British archaeology student discovered a 5,000-year-old piece of Neolithic chewing gum made from birch bark tar. 23-year-old Sarah Pickin found the ancient gum while on a dig in Finland and it was later revealed to have tooth marks in it. Birch bark tar is known to contain phenols, which have antiseptic properties. It is generally believed that Neolithic people used to chew the stuff to help treat mouth and gum infections.