What distinguished the remains, however, was clear evidence of excessive wear to three of his lower incisors that suggested a repeated activity that had caused significant damage.

Further studies by scientists at the Olomouc Archaeological Centre revealed that the man had habitually opened gunpowder cartridges with his teeth, presumably while serving as a soldier in one of the European armies of the era. They also discovered remnants of gunpowder in his dental tartar and wear to his lumbar vertebrae, indicative of long marches carrying heavy equipment and a musket.

Numerous military manuals and accounts from the period state that soldiers loaded their flintlock firearms by biting into paper cartridges containing gunpowder and bullets, separating the powder before pouring it into the muzzle of their weapons. However, direct physical evidence for the practice had always been lacking.

Anthropologist Lukáš Šín, who led the study, said: “The soldier’s teeth were weakened through repeated activity and the sulphur from the gunpowder not only contaminated the dental cavity and the tartar, but also contributed to exposing the tooth bed and causing gingivitis.”

The skeleton remains at the Olomouc Archaeological Centre, while the results of the study have been published in scientific journals.