Sarah Pickin, 23, spotted the ancient piece of "confectionery" during a dig in north-west Finland, but had to check with colleagues whether her hunch was correct or if it was in fact a fossilised piece of animal dung.
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The part-time barmaid was correct and the lump of birch-bark tar, complete with visible tooth marks, has now been sent for analysis where it is expected to be carbon dated at around 3000BC.
Chewing gum is often thought of as a modern habit invented by William Wrigley Jr and imported to Europe from America last century.
However, gum has a long history stretching back at least 9,000 years, with tar-like materials commonly chewed throughout much of northern Europe from at least the early Mesolithic period (10,000-6500BC).
Ms Pickin's discovery is from the Neolithic period (4000-2500BC) when people used the unflavoured birch bark as an antiseptic to treat gum infections or as glue for repairing broken pots and fixing arrowheads to shafts.
She said: "I had heard of ancient chewing gum being found before on previous European digs so when I found it in the trench, it was the first thing that crossed my mind.
"However, it looks just like a dirty piece of modern chewing gum with no smell or taste and I was also worried it could have been a bit of fossilised poo, so I asked a few of the other students to make sure.
"Thankfully they agreed that it was birch-bark gum and it's now away to be carbon dated and have the teeth marks analysed before it goes on display."
Ms Pickin, originally from Stranraer, but now living in Derby, also found part of an amber ring and a slate arrowhead. She was one of five UK students on a six-week volunteer programme at Kierikki Stone Age Centre on the Finnish coast.
Her tutor at Derby, Professor Trevor Brown, a heritage and conservation expert, said: "Birch-bark tar contains phenols, which are antiseptic compounds.
"It is generally believed that Neolithic people suffering from gum infections found that chewing this stuff helped to treat the condition.
"The actual material is some kind of tar, which was made by heating the birch bark. After the tar was made, it was boiled, and when it cooled, it became solid. When it was heated again, it became softer, and only then was it used as a kind of chewing gum. Sarah's discovery is particularly significant because well-defined tooth imprints were found on the gum."
Examples of black lumps of tar with well-defined human tooth impressions have been found at several sites across northern Europe, notably in Germany and Scandinavia.
It is not known for certain whether the early form of the confectionery was used for medical reasons or purely enjoyment. These days, it is common knowledge that chewing gum between meals can help reduce the build-up of plaque, but how much was known of its dental capabilities in 3000BC is unclear.
A pattern that has emerged from studies of the tooth impressions is that the majority of chewers were children aged between six and 15. As this is the age range, during which milk teeth are lost, one theory is that tar may have been chewed on to help remove loose teeth and reduce the pain of teething.
Alternatively, children may perhaps have been given birch-bark tar to chew in the same way children today are given sweets as pacifiers.
Modern chewing gum was first developed in the 1860s when chicle was imported from Mexico for use as a substitute for rubber. Chicle did not succeed as a replacement for rubber, but as a gum it soon dominated the market.
Chicle gum, and gum made from similar latexes, had a smoother and softer texture and held flavour better. Most chewing-gum companies have now switched to synthetic gum bases because of their low price and availability.
In 1848, John B Curtis made and sold the first commercial chewing gum called the State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum, and by 1888 Thomas Adams' "Tutti Frutti" chewing gum had become the first to be sold in a vending machine, when it was installed in a New York subway station.
It was not until 1893 that Mr Wrigley began selling his Spearmint and Juicy Fruit brands.
Meanwhile, Ms Pickin's discovery has fuelled her enthusiasm for her chosen subject.
She added: "I was delighted to find the gum and was very excited to learn more about the history of it.
"I'm keen to work in this area in the future and I'd love to go back to the site, so I'm hoping they're impressed by the gum and the tests come up with some interesting results."
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