Ancient chewing

CHEWING gum could date back 5,000 years, it has been revealed.  The ancient equivalent of what we know today as chewing gum has been found in Finland by a British archaeology student.  The lump of birch bark tar dates back to Neolithic times and comes complete with Stone Age tooth prints.

Neolithic people are thought to have chewed the bark tar as a medical aid to heal mouth infections, and also used it to glue broken pots together.  The tree tar contains phenols which have antiseptic properties.