The tooth (Photo: Musée de Tautavel)

What did you do on your summer break? Two young archaeology volunteers from France found the tooth of a human who likely lived in what’s now southwestern France about 560,000 years ago.

A 16-year-old named Camille found the tooth while working with another young volunteer at a site in Tautavel, one of the most important prehistoric sites known. The tooth isn’t the oldest human fossil found in Europe – but it is the oldest bit of human remains found in France, the Museum of Tautavel says.

A tooth by itself can’t tell researchers as much about early humans and their development as, say, a skull. But as a treasure to find on a volunteer archaeology gig, it’s hard to beat.

Camille and her partner (Photo: Musée de Tautavel)

Bonus finds: Catholic relics buried with Jamestown founders, an ancient wine cellar

Every day, we highlight one newly lost or found object, curiosity or wonder. Discover something unusual or amazing? Tell us about it! Send your finds to sarah.laskow@atlasobscura.com.