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Capasso G, Neves D, Sperduti A, Cristiani E, Manzo A. Direct evidence of plant consumption in Neolithic Eastern Sudan from dental calculus analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4278. [PMID: 38383568 PMCID: PMC10882051 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53300-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The Neolithic communities of Eastern Sudan combined intensive pastoralism with plant exploitation as their main subsistence strategies. However, to date, it remains unclear which plant species were part of the human diet during the Neolithic. This contribution presents direct data on plant consumption in Eastern Sudan from the Early to Late Neolithic, obtained through the analysis of microdebris inclusions in the dental calculus of 37 individuals, integrated by dentoalveolar pathology analysis of 78 individuals, from the sites UA53 (4th millennium BCE) and Mahal Teglinos (3rd-2nd millennium BCE), located in the Gash Delta/Kassala region. Dental calculus inclusions indicate a diverse intake of cereals, legumes, and tubers during the Middle Neolithic, thus supporting the hypothesis of high reliance on plant resources. Dentoalveolar pathologies, possibly related to the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods, have also been recorded. For the Late Neolithic, consistent with the shift towards aridity that occurred in the Middle/Late Holocene, dental calculus exclusively indicates the exploitation of sorghum and tubers-species well adapted to arid conditions-showing how the Neolithic communities modified their subsistence in response to environmental changes. Evidence of plant processing techniques, such as cooking/heating, was also revealed from the dental calculus analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusy Capasso
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
| | - Dulce Neves
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of History, Anthropology, Religions, and Performing Arts, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Sperduti
- Bioarchaeology Service, Museum of Civilizations, Rome, Italy
- Department of Asian, African and Mediterranean Studies, University 'L'Orientale', Naples, Italy
| | - Emanuela Cristiani
- DANTE - Diet and ANcient TEchnology Laboratory, Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Andrea Manzo
- Department of Asian, African and Mediterranean Studies, University 'L'Orientale', Naples, Italy
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Li Q, Luo K, Su Z, Huang F, Wu Y, Zhou F, Li Y, Peng X, Li J, Ren B. Dental calculus: A repository of bioinformation indicating diseases and human evolution. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1035324. [PMID: 36579339 PMCID: PMC9791188 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1035324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Dental calculus has long been considered as a vital contributing factor of periodontal diseases. Our review focuses on the role of dental calculus as a repository and discusses the bioinformation recently reported to be concealed in dental calculus from three perspectives: time-varying oral condition, systemic diseases, and anthropology at various times. Molecular information representing an individual's contemporary oral health status could be detected in dental calculus. Additionally, pathogenic factors of systemic diseases were found in dental calculus, including bacteria, viruses and toxic heavy metals. Thus, dental calculus has been proposed to play a role as biological data storage for detection of molecular markers of latent health concerns. Through the study of environmental debris in dental calculus, an overview of an individual's historical dietary habits and information about the environment, individual behaviors and social culture changes can be unveiled. This review summarizes a new role of dental calculus as a repository of bioinformation, with potential use in the prediction of oral diseases, systemic diseases, and even anthropology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Kaihua Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhifei Su
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fangting Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yajie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fangjie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xian Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiyao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Jiyao Li, ; Biao Ren,
| | - Biao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Jiyao Li, ; Biao Ren,
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Walsh S. Early evidence of extra-masticatory dental wear in a Neolithic community at Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY 2022; 32:1264-1274. [PMID: 37066120 PMCID: PMC10087735 DOI: 10.1002/oa.3162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the first evidence of extra-masticatory dental wear from Neolithic Bestansur, Iraqi Kurdistan (7700-7200 BC). Bestansur is a rare, recently excavated burial site of this period in the Zagros region, of Iraqi Kurdistan. A total of 585 teeth from 38 individuals were analyzed for features indicative of activities including oblique wear planes, notches, grooves, and chipping. Indications of extra-masticatory wear were found in 27 of 38 individuals, and 277 of 585 teeth (47%) available for study. The most frequent features were chipping and notches suggesting activities such as processing fibers by using the teeth as a "third hand." Evidence for these wear features was present in both males, females, and in children aged five and older. These aspects of childhood life-course and dentition are rarely investigated. The presence of dental wear features in the deciduous dentition can indicate an age range at which activities began in different groups and highlights the importance of including juvenile remains in such studies. The variety of forms of dental wear may relate to the mixed diet and activities of these people. This study adds to our understanding of human behaviors and socio-cultural aspects of life during this transitional period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Walsh
- School of Natural SciencesUniversity of Central LancashirePrestonUK
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Monaco M, Riccomi G, Minozzi S, Campana S, Giuffra V. Exploring activity-induced dental modifications in medieval Pieve di Pava (central Italy, 10th-12th centuries AD). Arch Oral Biol 2022; 140:105449. [DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2022.105449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Willman JC, Hernando R, Matu M, Crevecoeur I. Biocultural diversity in Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene Africa: Olduvai Hominid 1 (Tanzania) biological affinity and intentional body modification. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 172:664-681. [PMID: 31944279 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The dentition of Olduvai Hominid 1 (OH1) exhibits an anomalous pattern of dental wear that was originally attributed to either intentional cultural modification (filing) or plant processing behaviors. A differential diagnosis of the wear and assessment of the biological affinity of OH1 is presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS Macroscopic and microscopic observations of all labial and buccal tooth surfaces were undertaken to assess wear patterns. A multivariate analysis of mandibular morphology of OH1 compared to other Late Pleistocene, Holocene, and recent modern humans was used to ascertain biological affinity. RESULTS The morphological variation of the OH1 mandible is closely aligned with variation in penecontemporaneous fossils from Africa and outside that of recent humans. The concave wear facets exposing dentin on the labial surfaces of all three preserved mandibular incisors is confirmed. Substantial loss of labial/buccal surfaces was documented on the surfaces of all in situ maxillary and mandibular canines, premolars, and molars ranging from distinct facets with well-defined edges, to blunting or "polishing" around areas of maximum buccal curvature. The wear on both the anterior and postcanine teeth closely resemble that caused by adornments ("labrets") worn in lower-lip and buccal facial piercings known from bioarchaeological and ethnographic contexts. The wear pattern suggests that the OH1 wore three facial piercings-two buccal/lateral and a medial one in the lower lip. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that the expression of social identities through intentional body modification is more diverse than previously documented elsewhere in Africa during the Late Pleistocene (i.e., ablation) and Early Holocene (i.e., ablation, chipping, and filing).
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Willman
- Laboratory of Prehistory, CIAS - Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal.,IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social , 43007 Tarragona, Spain.,Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Raquel Hernando
- IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social , 43007 Tarragona, Spain.,Àrea de Prehistòria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Marie Matu
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 5199, PACEA, De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Isabelle Crevecoeur
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 5199, PACEA, De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement, et Anthropologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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D’Agostino A, Gismondi A, Di Marco G, Lo Castro M, Olevano R, Cinti T, Leonardi D, Canini A. Lifestyle of a Roman Imperial community: ethnobotanical evidence from dental calculus of the Ager Curensis inhabitants. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2019; 15:62. [PMID: 31801550 PMCID: PMC6894264 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0334-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The analysis of ancient calcified dental plaque is a powerful archaeobotanical method to elucidate the key role of the plants in human history. METHODS In this research, by applying both optic microscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry on this matrix, a detailed qualitative investigation for reconstructing the lifestyle of a Roman imperial community of the Ager Curensis (Sabina Tiberina, Central Italy) was performed. RESULTS The detection of animal micro-remains and molecules (e.g., hairs, feather barbules, markers of dairy products), starch granules of several cereals and legumes, pollen (e.g., Juglans regia L., Hedera sp. L.) and other plant micro-debris (e.g., trichome of Olea sp., hemp fibers), and phytochemicals (e.g., Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae herbs, Ferula sp., Trigonella foenum-graecum L., wine, and Humulus lupulus L.) in the dental calculus sample demonstrated that plant-derived foods were regularly consumed together with animal resources. CONCLUSIONS This nutritional plan, consistent with the information reported in ancient written texts, suggested that the studied population based its own subsistence on both agriculture and husbandry, probably also including beekeeping and hunting activities. All together, these results represent proofs for the comprehension of food habits, phytotherapeutic practices, and cultural traditions of one of the first Roman settlements in the Sabina Tiberina area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia D’Agostino
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Gismondi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Marco
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Lo Castro
- Società Cooperativa “Il Bètilo” - Servizi per i Beni Culturali a r. l., Via Remigio De Paolis 15, 00030 San Vito Romano (RM), Italy
| | - Rosaria Olevano
- Società Cooperativa “Il Bètilo” - Servizi per i Beni Culturali a r. l., Via Remigio De Paolis 15, 00030 San Vito Romano (RM), Italy
| | - Tiziano Cinti
- Società Cooperativa “Il Bètilo” - Servizi per i Beni Culturali a r. l., Via Remigio De Paolis 15, 00030 San Vito Romano (RM), Italy
| | - Donatella Leonardi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Canini
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
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