She simply died, at an age when most people today would consider themselves barely at the beginning of adult life.

The wear on her teeth told additional stories.

Her teeth showed heavy wear, the kind caused by abrasive material — sand or grit — incorporated into food during processing.

This pattern is consistent with food being ground or pounded on stone surfaces, the grinding tools leaving microscopic particles of stone in the food that then worked against the tooth enamel over years of eating.

The wear was pronounced enough to suggest that this was a regular feature of her diet throughout her life.