Patterns of Antemortem Tooth Loss in Late Prehistoric West-central Tennessee

The later prehistoric subsistence-settlement pattern in the Kentucky Lake Reservoir (KLR) of northern west-central Tennessee is of interest as human occupation inexplicably terminates by AD 1450 as part of a larger regional depopulation. Antemortem tooth loss (ATL) collectively and by tooth type was identified in four site samples from the KLR. These are a Late Woodland (AD 600-900) sample (Hobbs) and three Middle Mississippian period (AD 1100- 1400) hierarchically organized and presumptively maize agriculturalist samples (Link/Slayden, Gray Farm , Thompson Village). ATL prevalence in the Hobbs sample is consistent with a native crop and seasonal foraging economy. The ATL in the Link sample is more congruent with the pre-maize Late Woodland sample than the essentially contemporaneous Gray Farm site sample. Thompson Village, a later-dated satellite community of the Gray Farm polity, exhibits significantly fewer ATL than the Gray Farm sample. This may flag climate-influenced agricultural shortfall of dietary carbohydrates later in the occupation sequence. Additionally, males in the Gray Farm site sample have significantly more ATL than males in the other two Mississippian samples. The patterns suggest regional, possibly shortfall mitigated, differences in maize intensification with a polity-specific male-focused maize consumption in the Gray Site.

Mihail Băţ, Angela Simalcsik, Aurel Zanoci, A place of Life and Death. Burials and human bone finds in the Iron Age settlement at Saharna Mare / ”Dealul Mănăstirii”: archaeological data and anthropological analysis

Among the numerous vestiges of the Iron Age at Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii”, there are 11 finds of human remains, which are of particular in¬terest for the interdisciplinary research of the site. In this article, we propose combining archaeological data with anthropological ones. The analyzed skele¬tal material comes from six types of archaeological contexts: “cultic structure”, “ditch”, “rampart”, “grave”, “dwelling”, and “cultural layer” (Fig. 2; 3). In all the analyzed cases the identified osteological remains come from a single individu¬al. In total, seven individuals were identified, one of whom is female and six are male. Regarding age distribution, most individuals fall within the age range of 30-60 years (maturus). One individual falls within the age range of 20-30 years (adultus), and another one has passed the age of 60 (senilis). As a result of the paleopathological analyses, a wide spectrum of dental pathologies (supragingi¬val calculus, cavities, abscess, antemortem tooth loss) and bone pathologies (os¬teoarthritis, intervertebral disc herniation, porotic hyperostosis) were recorded. The analysis of occupational indicators showed over-demanding physical activities, spatial mobility, and horseback riding. Traces of violent death, such as cra¬nial and postcranial fractures, have been reported in several cases. There were also identified injuries with signs of healing.

KONSUMSI SIRIH PINANG DAN PATOLOGI GIGI PADA MASYARAKAT PRASEJARAH LEWOLEBA DAN LIANG BUA, DI NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR, INDONESIA

This paper focus on chewing betel quid habit that dominantly happen in the Asia to Pacific region. Betel quid leaves traces of reddish-brown colour on the teeth. It was identified that dental stain was very common on teeth of prehistoric skeletal remains, for example in Thailand and Vietnam. Several studies have shown that chewing betel nut can cause diseases in the teeth and oral cavity. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between betel nut chewing and the emergence of tooth pathology in teeth from the prehistoric population from Lewoleba and Liang Bua. Ten individuals were observed using the macroscopic method. The results showed that consumption of betel nut (based on dental stains) was followed by attrition, periodontitis and even antemortem tooth loss.

Etruscan Teeth and Odontology

The results of a paleopathological examination of the teeth and supporting structures of a 4th through 2nd century BC Etruscan sample of 119 crania from central Italy reveals a relatively low incidence of caries (27.7%) and high frequencies of antemortem tooth loss (49.6%) and alveolar bone infection (27.7%). The mandibular anterior teeth of one individual were partially covered with a gold strip. The function of this strip may have been ornamental or possibly odontoechnical to cover a diastema which resulted from antemortem tooth loss. Previous studies have shown that the Etruscans were renowned for their skill in odontotherapy.

Dental Health and Diet of Two Prehistoric Populations from Chile's Semiarid North

This investigation examines dental health and diet of two prehistoric populations from Chile's semiarid north. Trace element and dental paleopathological analyses have been conducted on skeletal remains of hunter-gatherers of the Archaic period (n=99, ca. 1,800 BC) and agriculturalists of the Diaguita period (n=82, 1,000-1,500 AD). Archaeological and historical evidence indicates that the Diaguita diet primarily incorporated cultivated and wild plants, but also included pastoralism and marine resources. By contrast, the subsistence of Archaic peoples was primarily based on marine resources. Concentration values of the elements strontium and barium (mean log ratio values for Archaic = -0.7985, n=38; for Diaguita = -0.5475, n=53) support the archaeological evidence for subsistence mode, and thus for diet, of both populations. These concentrations fall within the ranges determined for various archaeological New World populations with similar subsistence and dietary patterns. Based on the differences in subsistence and diet, the variations in dental health between the two populations were investigated. The analysis to date has revealed that both populations suffered from infectious (antemortem tooth loss, abscesses, caries, alveolar recession), degenerative (calculus deposition), and developmental (enamel hypoplasia) dental pathologies. The differences in frequencies of some of the infection processes are statistically significant between the two populations (p,0.05), but overall do not seem to demonstrate, as many other studies have (Larsen, 1984; Schmucker, 1985; Murphy, 1993), as sharp decline in dental health from the hunter-gatherer population.

Food and the State: Bioarchaeological Investigations of Diet in the Moche Valley of Perú

The Moche of north coastal Perú were among the earliest New World societies to develop state socio-political organization. The Moche State (AD 200-800) was a centralized hierarchical society that controlled the Moche Valley as well as valleys to the north and south. Prior to the establishment of the state, a series of less hierarchical organizations were present in the valley. Irrigation agriculture has often been cited as central to development of the Moche State. To test this assertion I examined 750 individuals recovered from the largest cemetery at the site of Cerro Oreja. Although the most important occupation of Cerro Oreja was during the Gallinazo phase (AD 1-200), many individuals were interred here during the earlier Salinar period (400 -1 BC). Consequently, the Cerro Oreja collection holds a key to understanding the development of one of the earliest and most extensive states in the Americas. The teeth and/or alveoli of each individual were examined for the presence of dental caries, periodontal disease, abscesses, and antemortem tooth loss. My analysis suggests women and children did increasingly focus their diet on agricultural products. These findings seem to support the hypothesis that increased irrigation and reliance on agricultural production was fundamental to the development of the Moche state. However, men’s diets remained consistent through time. Status seems to have been of little import in determining diet before and during early periods of state development, in dramatic contrast to what we know of its importance during the zenith of the state’s power. I suggest that increasing differentiation of gender roles was important to the development of the state, and that gender differences may have been the most salient force in the transition to political hierarchy and social stratification in the Moche valley.

Sex Differences in Oral Pathologies at the Late Classic Maya Site of Xcambó, Yucatán

The present study compares the frequency of oral pathologies—namely caries, antemortem tooth loss and periapical defects—between sexes in the Maya site of Xcambó, Yucatán, during the Late Classic Period (AD 600-900). There are marked differences in the occurrence of oral pathological conditions between the sexes in two of three major areas of the sites, despite evidence of archaeological and funerary homogeneity within the site. In these two compounds, females are significantly more affected by oral pathologies than males. In contrast, the third area of the site shows slightly higher frequencies in males, but with no significant sex difference. The results*Correspondence to: Andrea Cucina, Facultad de Ciencias Antropológicas, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexioco. E-mail: [email protected] been interpreted according to the site’s location, size and economic role within a larger trade network in the Yucatán peninsula. The higher frequency of oral pathologies in females is interpreted as the result of sex differences in dietary and behavioral patterns. Females likely had more maize in their diet and, because of their role in food preparation, may have ingested food more frequently during the day. At the same time, the lack of difference between sexes in the third area of the site contradicts the archaeological evidence of intrasite homogeneity, and it raises questions on the cultural complexity of this population.