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Wasterlain SN, Rufino AI, Ferreira MT. Dental disease in a 15th-17th centuries skeletal sample of enslaved Africans (Lagos, Portugal). Arch Oral Biol 2024; 165:106015. [PMID: 38838514 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2024.106015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dental disease is frequently used as a proxy for diet and overall health of individuals of past populations. The aim of this study is to investigate dental disease in a sample of enslaved African individuals recovered from an urban dump (15th-17th centuries) in Lagos, Portugal. DESIGN In all, 81 African individuals (>12 years old) were analysed (19 males, 49 females, and 13 of unknown sex), in a total of 2283 alveoli, 2061 teeth, and 2213 interdental septa. Analysed oral pathologies include dental caries, periodontal disease, and ante-mortem tooth loss. Dental wear was also recorded. RESULTS Dental caries affected 52.0 % of the teeth, although only 31.9 % were cavitated lesions. In all, 96.3 % of the individuals presented at least one cariogenic lesion. Gingivitis and periodontitis were recorded in 56.7 % and 19.0 % of the septa, respectively. Only one male individual had all septal areas healthy. Ante-mortem tooth loss was recorded in 38.3 % of the individuals, in a total of 96 teeth lost (4.2 %). Regarding occlusal wear, 70.8 % of the surfaces were recorded with grades 1-3. CONCLUSIONS The frequencies of the oral pathological conditions observed may not only reflect a cariogenic diet (rich in starches and with a high frequency of meals) but also the conditions during the maritime voyage of the first victims of the North Atlantic slave trade (xerostomia due to lack of water, sea sickness and vomiting, vitamin C deficiency, poor hygiene), and also the impact intentional dental modifications had on the dentitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia N Wasterlain
- University of Coimbra, Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology, Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Ana I Rufino
- University of Coimbra, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria Teresa Ferreira
- University of Coimbra, Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology, Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
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Towle I, Davenport C, Irish JD, De Groote I. High frequency of dental caries and calculus in dentitions from a British medieval town. Arch Oral Biol 2023; 155:105777. [PMID: 37556981 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2023.105777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dental pathology and tooth wear data can offer valuable insights into the diet and behaviour of past populations. This study aimed to investigate the presence of dietary continuity by examining different types of dental pathology and tooth wear in a medieval sample from the United Kingdom, comparing them to earlier and later samples from the same location. DESIGN A comprehensive examination was conducted on 41 individuals (comprising 914 permanent teeth) retrieved from the medieval cemetery of St. Owens Church in Southgate Street, Gloucester, UK. The research focused on documenting and analysing various types of dental pathology and tooth wear, such as dental caries, calculus, and tooth chipping. The frequency of these specific pathologies and wear patterns was then compared to existing literature. Additionally, non-masticatory tooth wear was also evaluated as part of the study. RESULTS The sample exhibits high levels of carious lesions and calculus (24 % and 74 % of teeth respectively). Anterior teeth also show an elevated chipping frequency, and along with occlusal notches on the maxillary central incisors suggest teeth were regularly used for non-masticatory purposes. CONCLUSIONS Caries frequency is similar to sites from later periods and may relate to the early adoption of consuming refined carbohydrates. However, remains from the same area, but the earlier Roman period, also shows high rates of caries and calculus, suggesting a continuation of consuming certain cariogenic foods, or certain behavioural/environmental factors, may instead be responsible for these pathology and wear patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Towle
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom.
| | - Carole Davenport
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom; Blake Emergency Services, Disley SK12 2DZ, United Kingdom
| | - Joel D Irish
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PaleoSciences, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, South Africa
| | - Isabelle De Groote
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom; Ghent University, Department of Archaeology, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
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Slepchenko SM, Gusev AV, Svyatova EO, Hong JH, Lee H, Shin DH. Anthropological report of arctic people's mummy found at a medieval grave of West Siberia. Anat Cell Biol 2023; 56:404-408. [PMID: 37258423 PMCID: PMC10520856 DOI: 10.5115/acb.23.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In arctic zone of West Siberia, native people's bodies were sometimes mummified inside the medieval graves. In 2013 to 2017, we conducted the excavations of medieval graves at Zeleny Yar cemetery in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Among the burials, current report deals with the mummy grave #79. During the investigation, bronze plate and strips, woven or fur clothing, leather strap, beads, bronze bracelets, and iron knife etc. were collected. Anatomical and radiological research showed that the mummy was found intact with hair, skin, and skeletons, but the preservation status of soft tissue differed greatly depending on the area. The brain and eyes were well preserved, but the chest and abdominal organs almost disappeared. The arms were preserved to some extent, but only the bones remained in the legs. The West Siberian mummy could be a great resource for anthropologists to reveal the biological aspects of arctic indigenous people.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander Vasilyevich Gusev
- Sector of History and Archeology, Arctic Research Center of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, Salekhard, Russia
| | | | - Jong Ha Hong
- Institute of Korean Archaeology and Ancient History, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyejin Lee
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dong Hoon Shin
- Institute of Forensic and Anthropological Science, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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Dental Calculi of Siberian Natives, Russian Settlers, and Korean People of Joseon Dynasty Period in the 16th to 19th Century Eurasia Continent. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:5765604. [PMID: 35592522 PMCID: PMC9112181 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5765604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Objective The prevalence of calculus is known to be variable by difference in diets or subsistence strategy between human populations. However, this situation has not been confirmed so far for hunter-gatherers and farming people in terms of history. In this study, we tried to reveal the association of diets or subsistence with calculus in different historical populations: Siberian natives, Joseon period Korean people, and Russian settlers in Siberia. Design We examined the teeth of Siberian natives (hunter-gatherers), Russian (wheat farming) settlers, and Joseon (rice farming) people in sixteenth to nineteenth century. Age and sex were estimated using the methods of Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994). We examined specimens to detect signs of calculus formation in teeth. Calculus rates in each group were statistically compared, and the proportions of calculus by age or sex were also compared across each group. We used package R for statistical analysis. Results and Discussion. The prevalence of calculus deposition decreased in the order of Joseon people, Russian settlers, and Siberian natives. Our study proposes that the rate of calculi among farming people was evidently higher than that of hunter-gatherers in sixteenth to nineteenth century Eurasia. In all three groups, calculus prevalence became higher as age increases and was noteworthy in males. Conclusion Current study demonstrated a significant difference of calculus formation between those groups with different diets or subsistence strategies. Higher prevalence of dental calculus was observed in agriculturalist Joseon Koreans and Russian settlers, but Siberian natives exhibited relatively lower frequency of dental calculus. The results of this study enable us to reconsider the meaning of association between subsistence strategy and calculus in different historical populations.
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Crubézy E, Duchesne S, Razafindrazaka H, Romanova L, Gérard P, Alcouffe A, Esclassan R, Melnichuk O, Ushnitsky I, Ludes B, Telmon N, Tegel W, Dabernat H, Zvenigorosky V, Prados-Frutos JC. Sucrose Is Not the Whole Story: Risk Factors and Oral Health at the Contact (Yakutia, Siberia-16th/19th). BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10100974. [PMID: 34681073 PMCID: PMC8533550 DOI: 10.3390/biology10100974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary We have studied the dental epidemiology of 96 frozen bodies from north-eastern Siberia (Yakuts) before and after the contact—with an accurate chronology–between Autochthonous and European populations. The peculiarities of the Yakut population are the rarity of cavities and the relative frequency of dental pathologies leading to death. Dental health evolves only two centuries after the contact; assimilation into the Russian Orthodox culture has decreased tooth wear and increased tooth loss. A comparison with historical data suggests that this evolution is not linked to the increasing importance of sucrose, but to the combined action of the substitution of dendrophagia with cereal flour; a decrease in immunity associated with the development of chronic infectious diseases; smoking as well as the mandibular torus: a risk factor favoring apical cysts. Abstract (1) Background: contact between indigenous and European populations has often resulted in changes in oral health attributed to the introduction of sucrose. Most studies are per tooth over considerable periods and with few ethnological references. (2) Aim: dental epidemiology of 96 autochthonous frozen bodies from Yakutia between the early 17th century and the late 19th century; comparisons with historical texts and ethnographic data. (3) Material and methods: we use descriptive statistics and discriminant factorial analyses to identify dominant variables in the dataset and compare periods and subjects, considering all variables. (4) Results: the peculiarities of the population are the rarity of cavities and the relative frequency of dental pathologies leading to death. Assimilation into the Russian Orthodox culture has led to decreased tooth wear and an increase in tooth loss. Dental health evolves only two centuries after the contact. (5) Conclusions: the confrontation with historical data suggests that changes are not related to the growing importance of sucrose but to a combined action: the substitution of dendrophagy by cereal flour; the decrease in immunity linked to the development of chronic infectious diseases; tobacco addiction and the mandibular torus: a risk factor promoting apical cysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Crubézy
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse, France; (S.D.); (P.G.); (A.A.); (R.E.); (N.T.); (H.D.)
- Laboratoire International Associé CNRS/Fédération de Russie COSIE, 31073 Toulouse, France; (L.R.); (O.M.); (B.L.); (V.Z.)
- Correspondence: (E.C.); (J.C.P.-F.)
| | - Sylvie Duchesne
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse, France; (S.D.); (P.G.); (A.A.); (R.E.); (N.T.); (H.D.)
- Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives (INRAP), 13 Rue du Négoce, 31650 Saint-Orens-de-Gameville, France
| | | | - Liubomira Romanova
- Laboratoire International Associé CNRS/Fédération de Russie COSIE, 31073 Toulouse, France; (L.R.); (O.M.); (B.L.); (V.Z.)
- Institute of Modern Languages and Regional Studies, North-Eastern Federal University, 58 Belinskogo Street, 677000 Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Patrice Gérard
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse, France; (S.D.); (P.G.); (A.A.); (R.E.); (N.T.); (H.D.)
- Laboratoire International Associé CNRS/Fédération de Russie COSIE, 31073 Toulouse, France; (L.R.); (O.M.); (B.L.); (V.Z.)
| | - Ameline Alcouffe
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse, France; (S.D.); (P.G.); (A.A.); (R.E.); (N.T.); (H.D.)
| | - Rémi Esclassan
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse, France; (S.D.); (P.G.); (A.A.); (R.E.); (N.T.); (H.D.)
| | - Olga Melnichuk
- Laboratoire International Associé CNRS/Fédération de Russie COSIE, 31073 Toulouse, France; (L.R.); (O.M.); (B.L.); (V.Z.)
- Institute of Modern Languages and Regional Studies, North-Eastern Federal University, 58 Belinskogo Street, 677000 Yakutsk, Russia
| | - Innokenty Ushnitsky
- Medical Institute of the North-Eastern Federal University, Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University, 58 Belinskogo Street, 677000 Yakutsk, Russia;
| | - Bertrand Ludes
- Laboratoire International Associé CNRS/Fédération de Russie COSIE, 31073 Toulouse, France; (L.R.); (O.M.); (B.L.); (V.Z.)
- BABEL, CNRS UMR 2029, Université Paris V Descartes, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Norbert Telmon
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse, France; (S.D.); (P.G.); (A.A.); (R.E.); (N.T.); (H.D.)
| | - Willy Tegel
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Albert-Ludwigs Universität, 79098 Freiburg, Germany;
| | - Henri Dabernat
- Centre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse, France; (S.D.); (P.G.); (A.A.); (R.E.); (N.T.); (H.D.)
| | - Vincent Zvenigorosky
- Laboratoire International Associé CNRS/Fédération de Russie COSIE, 31073 Toulouse, France; (L.R.); (O.M.); (B.L.); (V.Z.)
- BABEL, CNRS UMR 2029, Université Paris V Descartes, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Juan Carlos Prados-Frutos
- Department of Medical Specialties and Public Health (Forensic and Legal Medicine Area), Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avenida de Atenas s/n, 28933 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.C.); (J.C.P.-F.)
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Delgado-Darias T, Alberto-Barroso V, Velasco-Vázquez J. Oral conditions of the pre-Hispanic mummies of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2021; 34:155-162. [PMID: 34271409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyse the oral conditions of pre-Hispanic mummies from Gran Canaria (5th-11th centuries AD), comparing the results with published data from the non-mummified population. MATERIALS 440 teeth and 764 alveoli of 30 adult mummies. METHODS Macroscopic examination of pathological and non-pathological features of the oral cavity, using standardized criteria. RESULTS The mummies reveal frequent dental caries (11.8%), especially affecting molars (27.6%), a high prevalence of calculus (66.3%) and periodontal disease (34.9%). The average wear is characterized by extensive dentine exposure. Periapical lesions (10.6%) and antemortem tooth loss (AMTL) (15.9%) are common. A high percentage of individuals exhibit linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) (84%). Except for periodontitis, the data indicate the absence of significant statistical differences between the mummies and the skeletonized sample. CONCLUSIONS The profile of the dental pathologies of the mummies indicates a carbohydrate-rich diet that contained abrasive grit from the stone querns used to grind cereals. Comparison of the oral conditions of mummified and skeletonized remains shows no differences in access to food resources, reinforcing the recent rejection of the traditional interpretation of the mummies as the pre-eminent status group of Canarian society. SIGNIFICANCE This is the first study to delve into the oral conditions of pre-Hispanic mummified remains from Gran Canaria. The results have implications for the framing of research questions based on the social status of these mummies. LIMITATION The preserved sample of mummified remains of ancient Canarians is small. SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Comparative analysis from a diachronic perspective would improve understanding of the historical development of ancient Canarians.
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Bertilsson C, Nylund L, Vretemark M, Lingström P. Dental markers of biocultural sex differences in an early modern population from Gothenburg, Sweden: caries and other oral pathologies. BMC Oral Health 2021; 21:304. [PMID: 34126983 PMCID: PMC8204436 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-021-01667-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With the aim to study dental pathological lesions in an early Swedish modern population, with special reference to sex variances of dental caries, the prevalence and distribution of dental caries and tooth wear were determined in complete and partial human dentitions from an early modern-time city graveyard (1500–1620) excavated in Gamlestaden, Gothenburg, Sweden. Methods Partial and complete dentitions were examined through visual inspection and using a dental probe. Pathologies were studied, evaluated and presented by teeth and alveoli. Results The study population consisted of 308 individuals. A total of 4,951 teeth in adults and 1,660 teeth in children were examined. Caries prevalence in the studied population was 55% and the highest prevalence of caries was found among the adults, where 68% of the individuals had at least one carious lesion. Caries experience (DMT > 0) in the entire population was 60%, and among adults caries experience was 76%. Women had significantly higher caries experience than men (p < 0.05). Caries was most prevalent in the molar teeth and least prevalent in the incisors and canines. Significant age-related increases in tooth wear were found, and a positive correlation between wear in molars and incisors (p < 0.001). Other clinical findings were signs of apical lesions, crowding of teeth, aplasia, non-erupted canines and calculus. Conclusions Findings show that dental pathological lesions affected a majority of the studied population, and indicate that women were more predisposed to dental disease than their male counterparts. Results are discussed from a multi-factorial explanation model including dietary, physiological and cultural etiological factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Bertilsson
- Department of Cariology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Lisa Nylund
- Department of Cariology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Peter Lingström
- Department of Cariology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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