A Global Classification System for Cultural Dental Modification: Created and Assessed (original) (raw)
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Dental Anthropology has produced a huge amount of information in the last decades, covering many different aspects of human biological and cultural life. For the last twenty years, a process of diversification and specialization occurred,that sometimes precluded the development of macroscale comparative studies,except for a few exceptional cases. Some reflections and critical debate have to be done to overcomethese limits and to arrive to more consensual methodological procedures. The generation, analysis and conservation of new and previously known documented human osteological collections,and the use of compatible methodologies continue to be fundamental to obtain proxy data and generate adequate protocols to carry out comparative studies involving research projects from different parts of the world. Dental Anthropology is a scientific discipline of great development in the last decades, which deals with studies of sexual dimorphism, paleodemography, oral health, lifestyle, evolutionary trends, paleodiet, biodistance and paleopathology through the analysis of the dentition of extinct and modernhuman populations[1-22,among many others]. It is an important way of investigationthat allows access to knowledge sometimes avoided by other kind of research. The microscopic structure of osseous remains is more fragile than that of teeth, and therefore tend to be more easily deteriorated, so that the latter usually form an important part of the evidence available because of the much tougher constitution of the tissues, both in archaeological cases and in the unfortunately increasing number of mass disasters, like aircraft accidents, natural catastrophes or terrorist attacks[e.g. 23-27]. Considering that tooth structure is not remodeled during life, they offer a large amount of information for understanding the biological and social dynamics of past populations [3, 14, 28, 29] and assist in the identification of missing persons through forensic anthropology procedures[30-32]. Modern Dental Anthropology is the result of systematic efforts carried out by research teams for decadesin order to strengthen the scientific nature of the discipline and tried to explain the enormous biological diversity of human populations.The vast amount of information generated byscholars such as Cameriere and their investigation teams are good examples of comprehensive and sustainedprograms that included specific and holistic investigation designs. These detailed and numerous studies were initiated during the first half of the twentieth century, and significantly diversified since the 1970s. The prolific development generated a huge amount of data about dentition, which contributed to improving knowledge about the issues mentioned above; its impact is seen in the growing interest on the subject andthe increasing incorporation of specialists in archeological and bio anthropological research groups all around the world. At present, dental anthropology is immersed in a complex scenario that requires that the multiple current analysesin force, most of which offer significant heuristic potential for improving the anthropological science, be reflexively evaluated so as to arrive tomethodological consensus that allow performing macroscale comparative studies.The definitions of the variablesstudied,their categorizations and the recording proceduresare issues that should be clearly stated and necessarily discussed within the academic community in order to reach general consensus among scholars, so as to produce comparable data and allow developing studies in large spatial and temporal scales[33]. In this way, several survey protocols and systems of nomenclature have been generated to unify criteria of analysis in other disciplines, such as bio archeology, paleodemography and paleopathology [34-38].Dental Anthropology still needs this kind of general agreement.
Teeth Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology
Archaeological discoveries of teeth provide remarkable information on humans, animals and the health, hygiene and diet of ancient communities. In this fully revised and updated edition of his seminal text Simon Hillson draws together a mass of material from archaeology, anthropology and related disciplines to provide a comprehensive manual on the study of teeth. The range of mammals examined has been extended to include descriptions and line drawings for 325 mammal genera from Europe, North Africa, western, central and northeastern Asia, and North America. The book also introduces dental anatomy and the microscopic structure of dental tissues, explores how the age or season of death is estimated and looks at variations in tooth size and shape. With its detailed descriptions of the techniques and equipment used and its provision of tables and charts, this book is essential reading for students of archaeology, zoology and dental science.
Dental Anthropology-A Revolutionary Tool in Forensic Science
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International
Dental anthropology is a field of physical anthropology that studies the origin, development, and evolution of anthropoid dentitions, as well as their relationship to social, physical, and cultural factors. Teeth have their own distinct morphology and physiology, which is in stark contrast to the body's genetic structure. Teeth are also unique among the resistant elements of archaeological and fossil remains in that they have been exposed on the body's surface throughout their lives. As a result, dental anthropology may be assessed in the mouth cavity of living humans using similar methods to those used for prehistoric relics. As a result, it's no surprise that practising dental surgeons have historically ranked well among dental anthropologists. This review’s initial purpose is to provide an overview of the morphological and non-morphological properties of animate dentitions that aid in the indirect identification of prehistoric remains and the understanding of their cu...
Dental aesthetics as an expression of culture and ritual.
2010
ABSTRACT: Intentional mutilation or modifications to human teeth hold anthropological and social significance. Studying them helps to understand past and present human behaviour from a geographic, cultural, religious and aesthetic perspective. Presented herein is the case of the skull of a male aged 20-25 years from Madurai (Tamil Nadu, India) with aesthetic dental mutilation on the two upper central incisors, originating from the Skull Collection of the Museum of Forensic Anthropology, Paleopathology and Criminal Studies of the School of Legal Medicine of Madrid. The mutilation consists of both an alteration of the contour of the crown and the inclusion of decorative elements on the labial surface of both teeth. Performed in this study is a radiographic analysis of the dental modifications as well as a paleopathological study of the mutilated teeth.
Agreement in the Scoring of Dental Caries by Dentists and Anthropologists
IANSA 2014.1, 2014
Correct scoring of caries lesions is a fundamental step in the bioarchaeological investigation of past populations. The present and the extension of caries lesions inform us about past subsistence and diet, human behaviour, social inequality and overall health status through time. We asked ourselves how relevant an interpretation of a past society’s dependence on dental caries identification might be with an interest in demonstrating the quality of the primary data and the need for precise evaluation. We tested an assessment agreement of dental caries among observers from different subject fields. Two dentists and two anthropologists visually investigated 233 teeth and 3029 teeth surfaces from archaeological samples at the Plzeň “U Zvonu” cemetery dating to medieval and early modern times. We made use of Cohen kappa and Fleiss’ kappa to calculate the inter-observer and intra-observer agreement. The results indicate that the overall prevalence of dental caries in the tested assemblage ranged from 1% to 6%, depending on the observer. The inter-observer agreement decreased from an average of k=0.77 (identification of teeth) to k=0.40 (evaluation of the extent of caries lesion). Assessment in the caries extension decreased more rapidly having been caused by the in all probability increasing demands of individual observation. We recorded homogeneity in the assessment of each observer in the intra-observer agreement with the exception of Dentist 2. We did not record a dependence on the subject field of the observer. The most probable cause of low inter and high intra-observer agreement could be in the methodological process of each observer, precision in the application of the methodology and the responsibility of the individual observer.
Das 19. und 20. Jahrhundert im Fokus der Historischen Archäologie, 2024
Since the 17th century, archaeological evidence for dental prosthetics and restorative dentistry has constantly increased. Artificial dentures first appeared in central Europe among the upper classes; however, they were mainly used for aesthetic reasons. It was not until the 19th century that the raw material of hard rubber made it possible to manufacture a functional dental prosthesis in which porcelain teeth were inserted. With the development of synthetic plastics, dentures became a mass product. Based on burials from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the paper traces the most important steps in the development of dental prosthetics and presents, in addition to the materials used, other technical aspects concerning the anchoring of the teeth and the attachment of the prosthesis in the mouth. The interplay of these parameters can contribute to a dating of a burial in the sense of a terminus post quem. At the same time, based on our sample we discuss the availability and affordability of such measures for different social classes. Using our database we explore the potential of the typo-chronological and social classification of dental appliances between the 17th and the mid-20th century.
A dental metric open access dataset. Odontological applications in anthropological studies.
Archivio per l’Antropologia e la Etnologia, 2023
Teeth due to their peculiar structure and composition are the most durable elements of animal bodies and therefore the most common osteological remains in collections. The abundance of teeth in collections means that they are subject to extensive research that today constitutes a well-defined discipline called Odontology. Fortunately, through appropriate anatomical and comparative studies teeth can be informative about phylogenetic history and evolutionary mechanisms of species. Variations in teeth, including dimensional variations, are commonly used in physical anthropology as a powerful diagnostic tool. This paper aims to provide a free database of adult human tooth measurements. The database consists of a series of maxilla and mandible mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters (711 measures) taken on the premolars and molars from 19 Sicilian sites that belong to the Mesolithic up to modern times. It is not our intention, at this time, to provide an extensive ontological study. Instead, we illustrate with a simple example of how the database can be used. The example shows the database is reliable and reproducible.
Diachronic analysis of cultural dental wear at the Atapuerca sites (Spain)
Quaternary International, 2017
Cultural dental wear provides useful information about the use of anterior teeth for non-masticatory purposes. Non-alimentary tasks are usually related to economic and cultural activities. The presence of cultural dental wear has been checked in four different Homo species from the Sierra de Atapuerca sites (Sima del Elefante, Gran Dolina-TD6, Sima de los Huesos and El Mirador cave). The chronology of these sites ranges from more than one million to 4000 years ago. Evidence of dental wear has been documented in the four Homo species analysed, confirming that hominins began using their teeth as tools as far back as one million years ago. Each species exhibits specific typologies and frequencies of dental wear features. Also, dental features are located on different dental surfaces and tooth types, indicating a diversity of activities carried out using the anterior teeth as a tool. The use of the teeth as a tool was a widespread habit in the genus Homo. However, the diversity of dental wear patterns can be related to cultural and economic activities, broadening our knowledge of the behaviour of ancient hominins.