Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
ABSTRACT
The incidence of teeth lost antemortem was investigated in 244
archeologically derived dried skeletal specimens from the Ipiutak and Tigara
burials at Point Hope, Alaska, and 83 Koniag Eskimo specimens excavated at
Jones Point, Uyak Bay, Kodiak Island, Alaska. Ipiutak skeletal remains date
from approximately 1500 years B.P. and the Tigara remains from 300-400 years
B.P. The Kodiak Island sample is undated. Specimens were sexed and aged in
five-year groupings using standard techniques. Teeth lost antemortem were
identified as having occupied tooth sockets which showed healing of alveolar
bone following exfoliation. Numbers of lost teeth were calculated as percentages of
total number of tooth sites of each tooth classification for each age, sex, and site
subgrouping.
Tooth loss was very low in the Kodiak Island sample, with little difference between sexes and no identifiable age trends. The Tigara remains displayed
moderate tooth loss, with strong correlations t o increasing age and little differentiation between the sexes. The Ipiutak specimens lost the most teeth antemortem, with notable between-sex differences and strong correlations with
increasing age. In all groups loss of anterior teeth was probably due to accident or
heavy wear, while loss of posterior teeth was due to heavy wear, periodontal disease, or agenesis.
Antemortem loss of teeth is of interest to
anthropologists, dentists, and public health investigators. Teeth are lost in living persons
because of trauma from accident or heavy
paramasticatory usage or because of the
disease processes of caries and peridontal disease. Teeth were sometimes removed in branding of slaves (Hrdlieka, 1940), or for cosmetic
reasons, such as ritual tooth ablation (Moortgat, 1959)or modern orthodonture. The causes
of tooth loss in the living can be determined relatively easily and data concerning loss of teeth
are available for several modern societies
(Brekhus, 1929; Gould, 1965; Grewe et al.,
1966; Jackson, 1965; Krogh, 1958; MacGregor,
1972; Myers and Lee, 1974; Todd and Whitworth, 1974; Sheiham et al., 1969). Tooth loss
per se has rarely been recorded for archeological skeletal samples (Curzon, 1978; Hrdlieka,
1940; Lennon, et al., 1974; Merbs, 1968), but
has often been included in larger works concerning the dentitions of prehistoric people
(Hooton, 1930; Patterson, 1979; Snow, 1948).
0002-9483/80/5304-0579$02.00 6 1980 ALAN R. LISS, INC.
580
Age
The pubic symphysis is a reasonably accurate indicator of age (Brooks, 1955;McKern and
Stewart, 1957; Todd, 1920). Changes in the
581
582
21-25
Male_
Age
31-35
36-40
No. of individuals
4
5
3
26-30
41-45
46+
Total
26
6
30.0
6
5.8
2
10.0
5
4.8
1
5.0
1
1.o
1
8.3
2
10.0
4
3.8
2
10.0
5
4.8
I1
Number'
Percent2
I2
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
P3
Number
Percent
1
6.3
P4
Number
Percent
1
6.3
1
5.0
1
8.3
M1
Number
Percent
1
6.3
4
20.0
5
41.6
2
50.0
30.0
18
17.3
4
20.0
8
66.7
3
75.0
9
45.0
24
23.1
M2
Number
Percent
M3
Number
Percent
Total
Number
Percent
2
10.0
1
4.4
Correlation
coefficient
A.M. teeth
and age
,971
( I 1 12)
+
-
.706
(P3 P4)
,723
(M1 M2)
2
7.1
7
43.8
10
50.0
6
50.0
4
100.0
12
60.0
41
39.4
,775
3
1.3
10
7.8
21
13.1
21
21.9
9
29.1
40
25.0
104
12.5
,956
No. of Individuals
Female
1
4
7
3
3
1
1
20
Number
1
4
4
2
1
17
I1 5
Percent
17.9
33.3
33.3
50.0
Number
Percent
2
7.1
8
66.7
2
16.7
2
50.0
8.8
Number
Percent
1
3.6
3
25.0
1
8.3
2
50.0
7
8.8
P3
Number
Percent
1
3.6
3
25.0
3
25.0
2
50.0
9.
11.3
P4
Number
Percent
1
3.6
3
25.0
4
33.3
2
50.0
10
12.5
M1
Number
Percent
3
10.7
2
16.7
6
50.0
2
50.0
13
16.3
M2
Number
Percent
4
14.3
4
33.3
8
66.6
2
50.0
18
22.5
M3
Number
Percent
8
28.6
6
50.0
7
58.3
4
100.0
2
50.0
27
33.8
.559
Total
Number
Percent
1
0.8
25
11.2
33
34.4
35
36.5
20
62.5
3
9.4
117
18.3
,463
Grand
total
Number
Percent
4
1.1
34
9.7
54
21.1
56
29.2
29
45.3
43
22.4
221
15.0
.770
I2
6.3
>Number= Number of ante mortem lost teeth per age groupitooth classification
'Percent = Percent of teeth IOSL ante mortern per age groupitooth classificatmn.
25.0
21.3
7
.245
( I 1 I21
.754
,973
(P3 P4)
.985
(M1 M2)
583
DISCUSSION
Point Hope Tigara (Table 2)
Males from the Tigara skeletal sample lost
Hrdlieka believed intentional removal of anfew anterior teeth. Reaching a maximum of terior teeth to be a major cause of tooth loss in
14.3% in the 41-45 year age group, an aver- arctic populations (Hrdlieka, 1940). One of his
age of only 8.8% of incisors are lost. One and study samples was from Kodiak Island, and it
sixth-tenths percent of canines are lost, with a is from this same assemblage that the sample
maximum loss of 10.0% in the 41-45 year used in this study is drawn. Hrdlieka used 283
group. Neither incisor nor canine loss corre- skulls of Koniag and pre-KoniagEskimos,
lates well with age. Premolars also have a low which were divided into males and females,
loss rate: 7.0% with a high of 18.8% in the 41- juveniles, and adults. He diagnosed traumatic
45 year age group. Premolar loss correlates tooth loss of anterior teeth, regardless of loss
moderately well with age. Premolars, incisors, pattern, as intentional ablation. In a detailed
and canines display virtually no loss until the consideration of Hrdliekas ritual ablation hy36-40 age group. Firstlsecond molars are char- pothesis for Eskimo tooth loss, Merbs states
acterized by a steadily rising loss rate which that while Hrdliekas ability to diagnose a
reaches a peak of 38.8% in the 41-45 year age tooth lost by trauma was probably adequate,
group and averages 13.9%. Surprisingly, discrimination between accidental and intenmolar loss is not well correlated with age, pos- tional trauma is not usually possible (Merbs,
sibly because of a marked drop in antemortem 1968). Most ethnological evidence for ritual
loss in the 46
year age group. Third molar mutilation and ablation of teeth comes from
loss is consistently between 15 and 20% from geographic areas outside the Arctic. Moortgat
16 years of age into the middle of the fourth notes that in other areas the pattern of tooth
decade, when the loss rate rises to a maximum loss is important in diagnosing ritual ablation:
The same tooth, or teeth, are generally missing
of 45% in the 41-45 year age group.
Tigara females lost incisors at a steady rate, in all group members above a certain age
with a maximum of 47.2% in the 46+ age (Moortgat, 1959). This was not the case in most
group and an average loss of 16.4%. Canines of the groups Hrdlizka studied, as pointed out
are also lost at an increasing rate well corre- by Merbs (1968), and is clearly not the case in
lated with age, with maximum and average the groups studied here.
Extrapolation of Hrdlitkas data shows that
losses of 16.7%. Premolars are lost at a steadily increasing rate starting at the beginning of adult Koniags lost about 1% and pre-Koniags
the fourth decade. Premolar loss averaged 6,670 of their incisors. The 83 individuals used
7.7%, attaining a maximum of 25.0% lost in in this study for whom age and sex could be rethe oldest age group. Firstlsecond molars have liably ascertained had an incisor loss rate of
a different pattern, showing negligible loss 7.3%, not very different from Hrdlizkas reuntil the 36-40 year age group;then the loss sults. Interestingly, the correlation between
rate jumps to 36.1% in the 41-45 year, and age and tooth loss in the Jones Point samples
43.1Y0 in the 4 6 f year age groups, for a loss is very poor; the only tooth group in which loss
rate averaging 15.0%. Progressively more correlated with age is female incisors. If ritual
third molars are lost with age, starting with no ablation of incisors was practiced, the expected
loss in the 16-20 year group until a maximum result would be a t least a minimum number of
of 66.790 loss is reached in the 46+ year age incisors lost in each age group, not necessarily
group. Tooth loss is very well correlated with correlated with age. No minimum number of
age in all female Tigara tooth types.
lost teeth was found in any tooth category for
males or females from Jones Point. Males disKodiak Island, Jones Point (Table 3)
play fewer antemortem lost teeth than females.
No tooth group from the Jones Point males No tooth category exhibits an identifiable difor females displays a good correlation between ference in tooth loss, and no age trends were
loss and age except female incisors. All other noted.
Jones Point tooth loss figures are erratic
groups vary between being poorly correlated
to being mildly correlated negatively (male and when compared to age, suggesting that ritual
ablation was not practiced and that no identififemale canine loss) with age.
While sample sizes for the subgroups of able oral pathology was responsible for differJones Point males and females are larger than ential tooth loss. This concurs with data that
the Ipiutak samples from Point Hope, loss indicates the Jones Point people had a very low
rates are very low and less predictable since caries rate and little periodontal disease
many individuals, regardless of age, display (Costa, 1977). The skeletal remains from Jones
Point do not represent a random sample. At
very little or no tooth loss.
584
21-25
Male
Age
31-35
36-40
No. of individuals
21
7
17
26-30
41-45
46
Total
17
10
87
I1
Number
Percent
2
6.3
1
14.7
6
7.1
3
10.7
9
13.2
7
17.5
10
35.7
38
10.9
I2
Number
Percent
1
3.1
1
14.7
5
6.0
1
3.6
12
17.6
5
12.5
2
7.1
27
7.8
Number
Percent
1
0.6
2
7.1
3
1.8
4
10.0
1
3.6
11
3.2
P3
Number
Percent
2
2.4
2
7.1
3
4.4
7
17.5
2
7.1
16
4.6
P4
Number
Percent
3
4.4
4
4.8
3
10.7
13
19.1
8
20.0
2
7.1
33
9.5
M1
Number
Percent
5
7.4
9.5
3
10.7
13
19.1
15
37.5
7
25.0
51
14.7
Number
Percent
4
14.3
16
23.5
16
40.0
3
10.7
46
5.9
3
3.6
13.2
M2
Correlation
coefficient
A.M. teeth
and age
,359
( I 1 12)
,363
,630
( P 3 P4)
,379
(M1 M2)
M3
Number
Percent
6
18.8
10
14.7
17
20.0
5
17.9
26
38.2
18
45.0
9
32.0
91
26.1
,780
Total
Number
Percent
9
3.5
24
4.4
46
6.8
23
2.1
95
17.5
80
25.0
32
14.3
309
11.1
,756
12
23
4
4.3
No. of Individuals
8
20
9
25
28.1
31.3
18
27
37.5
9
19
59.4
111
85
19.1
3
3.3
F_emajg
~~
I1
Number
Percent
21
1
1.2
12
Number
Percent
3
3.6
,951
(I1 12)
1
3.1
14
17.5
18
25.0
15
46.9
61
13.7
Number
Percent
1
3.1
6
7.5
12
16.7
5
1 3 .9
24
16.7
P3
Number
Percent
1
3.1
3
3.8
10
13.9
4
12.5
18
4.1
P4
Number
Percent
2
2.4
1
3.1
16
20.0
17
23.6
14
43.8
50
11.3
M1
Number
Percent
1
1.2
4
4.3
3
9.4
22
27.5
20
27.7
11
34.4
61
13.7
M2
Number
Percent
1
1.2
3
4.3
7
21.9
17
21.3
32
44.4
20
62.5
80
18.0
M3
Number
Percent
10
11.9
19
20.7
11
34.4
30
37.5
41
56.9
24
66.7
135
30.4
,989
Total
Number
Percent
18
2.7
33
4.5
41
16.0
133
20.8
177
30.7
112
38.9
514
14.5
,989
Grand
total
Number
Percent
9
1.4
42
3.5
79
5.6
64
13.3
228
19.3
257
28.7
144
28.1
823
13.0
,974
!Number = Number of ante mortem lost teeth per age grouptooth classiflcation
Percent = Percent of teeth lost ante niortem per age groupitooth classification.
,873
,950
(P3 P4)
,991
(M1 M2)
585
Male
16-20
21-25
Age
31-35
36-40
No. of individuals
6
2
8
26-30
I1
Number'
Percent2
I2
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
2
8.3
Number
Percent
4.2
P3
3
10.7
1
3.6
2
7.1
4
16.7
2
25.0
1
3.1
3
37.5
5
15.6
P4
Number
Percent
Total
40
M1
Number
Percent
M2
Number
Percent
M3
Number
Percent
1
3.6
5
17.9
2
8.3
Total
Number
Percent
3
1.3
14
6.3
16
8.3
12
3
2
16.7
1
8.3
Correlation
coefficient
A.M. teeth
and age
6
3.8
1
3.1
1
12.5
17
10.6
3.1
3
1.9
1
3.1
2
1.3
.143
(I1 12)
-1.0
,339
( P 3 P4)
2
6.3
1
12.5
12
7.5
1
3.1
1
3.1
2
25.0
7
4.4
2
6.2
2
6.3
2
25.0
9
5.6
1
12.5
8
50.0
3
9.4
2
25.0
22
13.8
,437
9
14.0
19
7.4
9
3.5
8
12.5
78
6.1
.512
1
4.2
2
4
50.0
13
6
11.5
43
15
8.7
1
4.2
3
31.5
4
7.7
11
6.4
2
25.0
1
1.9
5
2.9
2
25.0
2
3.8
4
2.3
2
3.8
7
4.1
3
10.7
3
12.5
2
25.0
1
3.6
1
4.2
1
12.5
3
12.5
Female
46
1
3.6
41-45
No. of Individuals
3
6
,296
(M1 + M 2 )
I1
Number
Percent
4
2
12.5
I2
Number
Percent
2
12.5
Number
Percent
2
12.5
P3
Number
Percent
F4
Number
Percent
1
8.3
1
4.2
3
37.5
M1
Number
Percent
1
8.3
1
4.2
2
35.0
M2
Number
Percent
2
16.7
2
8.3
4
50.0
1
1.9
9
5.2
3
12.5
2
25.0
8
14.4
21
12.2
.I12
9
4.7
22
34.4
24
5.8
76
5.5
,452
28
6.3
31
9.7
32
6.7
154
5.8
,687
M3
Number
Percent
2
4.2
2
12.5
4
33.3
Total
Number
Percent
2
0.5
8
6.3
11
11.5
Grand
total
Number
Percent
5
0.8
22
6.3
27
7.4
9
5.6
' h u mher = Number af ante mortem lust teeth per age group,tooth classificalioii
'Pcrcent - Percent of twth I mt a n t e mortem per age group:tooth classification
,766
12)
(I1
-.142
,281
P4)
(P3
4
2.3
,099
(M1 M2)
586
which were not prevalent in these people. However, progressive heavy occlusal surface wear,
which was very common, could account for this
sudden loss of incisors and molars, since teeth
are usually lost when pulp chambers are
exposed. Tigara females began to expose the
pulp chambers in their teeth at this stage in
their lives (Costa, 1977).
Tigara males also show a progressive loss of
teeth, but the pattern of loss differs from that
found in the females. The most striking difference is in the third molar loss rates. Males lost
a constant 15 to 20% of third molars from 16 to
36 years of age. This could be most easily
accounted for by third molar agenesis. The
much larger number of third molars lost vs.
first and second molars lost in females may
also be due to third molar agenesis. From the
middle of the third decade onwards, males lost
teeth progressively, with more loss evident in
the cheek teeth than in the anterior teeth. As in
females, this is most likely the result of heavy
occlusal surface wear.
All three samples studied here have been
previously shown to have suffered very little
from dental caries or periodontal disease. All
three ate diets high in proteins and fats and
low in carbohydrates, and all three displayed
different patterns of antemortem tooth loss.
For an archeologic skeletal series where some
inferences can be made concerning diet,
patterns of tooth loss can give a general overview of the oral pathologies operating. Tooth
loss can also be used to identify sex-rolerelated paramasticatory behavior. Counting
teeth lost antemortem and deriving loss patterns can be a valuable tool in the analysis of
archeologic skeletal specimens.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
587