The prosthetic allowed her jaw to move again, but probably with a lot of pain, the researchers noted. Needless to say, that likely curtailed the woman’s contributions to her community, which arguably made her a burden in the already harsh conditions the Pazyryk had to weather. Yet, the archaeological record clearly demonstrates she was properly treated and later buried in a proper coffin of wood—a valuable resource for the region.

“We don’t know what her personal value to society consisted of,” Polosmak mused. “In this society, everyone was valued in life simply for their existence and honored after death."

Hard to imagine a society where life was so respected, all available resources were generously provided in an attempt to restore somebody’s health, regardless of what they could do in return for those resources. Must have been nice.