Gum chewing independently arose across different cultures and regions at different times, says Jennifer Mathews, an ...

an ancient chunk of birch bark sap with teeth marks was discovered in Finland and is thought to be between 5,500-6,000 years old. In Greece, a natural gum was harvested from the mastic tree on the ...

Mastic gum is a licorice-flavored resin extracted from the bark of the Pistacia lentiscus tree native to the Mediterranean region. Traditionally chewed as a breath freshener and digestive aid ...