Scott E. Burnett

This work documents the first unambiguous case of a pre-Hispanic Peruvian with dental inlays-an adult bearing two labially drilled maxillary canines, one of which retains an electrum inlay in situ. Intentional dental modification, occurring in a wide variety of forms, is a geographically and temporally wide-ranging cultural practice. Most commonly identified in Mesoamerica, intentional dental modification has also been reported both ethnohistorically and archaeologically in South America. Most definitive archaeological cases are Ecuadorian, and thus this individual, recovered from a primary ritual center of the Southern Moche State, located in north coastal Peru, presents a unique case. This work employs a microhistorical osteobiographical approach to documenting this individual. To characterize aspects of their life history and the nature of the inlay, enamel was analyzed for carbonate delta C-13, delta O-18, Sr-87/Sr-86, and Pb-206,Pb-7,Pb-8Pb/204 characterization and dentin for collagen delta C-13 and delta N-15 characterization and accelerator mass spectrometry dating. Inlay composition was analyzed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Together, these data suggest that the inlaid individual likely migrated to the Moche Valley from Ecuador. The burial context of the skeletal individual's remains and the cultural context of Moche society imply that their unique presentation and connection to Ecuador were important status markers.

Archaeological investigation at the Grand Bay site on the island of Carriacou in the southern Grenadines revealed a large Amerindian village site dating to between AD 400 and 1300. Found across the site were deposits with extensive artifactual and faunal assemblages accompanied by skeletal remains from more than two dozen human burials. Bioarchaeological research of these remains, along with a small number of individuals recovered from other sites on the island-represent the first osteological work focused on precontact lifeways, demography, health, diet, and mobility on Carriacou and are providing important clues regarding the peoples who settled on this small island over the course of a millennium. Here we report on the osteological and isotopic analysis of these remains.

Teeth have long been a focus of body modication as a visible and durable medium for communication with others through tooth removal (ablation), or alteration of tooth appearance by imbedding inlays, dyeing or painting the tooth crown, or shaping the occlusal or labial surfaces or both. One or more of these techniques for modication of the dentition have been employed on every populated continent at some point for the past twenty thousand years. Given the geographic and temporal distribution of intentional dental modication, the immense variability in such practices cannot be surprising. This chapter provides an overview of the primary types of intentional dental modication and discusses their classication and identication. It also reviews the geographic and temporal distribution of intentional dental modication worldwide and discusses the cultural signicance and implications of these practices.

Little has been published about the health of individuals living in Central Thailand during the Iron Age (ca. 2500 – 1500 BP). The site of Phromthin Thai provides an opportunity to examine indicators of systemic stress and signs of compromised health during this time period using human skeletal remains. Twenty-six Iron Age skeletons from the site were examined for indicators of systemic stress or compromised health in the form of porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia, dental caries, and trauma. These results were compared with data from the Ban Pong Manao site in Central Thailand and from two sites in different parts of Northeast Thailand to determine whether frequencies of these indicators varied significantly at Phromthin Tai. We found that the skeletons from Phromthin Tai exhibited generally low frequencies of most of these skeletal indicators, and that the prevalence of most of these indicators were similar to that reported for Ban Pong Manao in Central Thailand, and Ban Chiang and Noen U-Loke in Northeast Thailand. The main difference was a surprisingly low frequency of dental caries compared to the other three sites, which may relate to some unknown difference in the diet.   งานการศึกษาวิจัยเกี่ยวกับสุขภาพอนามัยของผู้คนสมัยเหล็ก (ประมาณ ๑,๕๐๐ – ๒,๕๐๐ ปีมาแล้ว) ในภาคกลางที่มีการตีพิมพ์นับว่ายังมีไม่มาก แหล่งโบราณคดีพรหมทินใต้ได้เปิดโอกาสให้พวกเราศึกษาตรวจสอบเรื่องราวเกี่ยวกับสุขอนามัยโดยพิจารณาจากตัวบ่งชี้สุขภาพต่าง ๆ ซึ่งปรากฎหรือทิ้งร่องรอยไว้บนกระดูกมนุษย์ที่ถูกฝังไว้ในช่วงสมัยเหล็ก ตัวอย่างกระดูกที่ศึกษามาจากผู้ตายจำนวน ๒๖ คน ตัวบ่งชี้สุขภาพอนามัยที่เราศึกษาได้แก่ร่องรอยความพรุนบนกะโหลกศีรษะ (porotic hyperostosis) ร่องรอยความพรุนบนกระดูกบนเพดานเบ้าตา (cribra orbitalia) ร่องรอยความผิดปกติบนเคลือบฟัน (linear enamel hypoplasia)  โรคฟันผุ (dental caries) และร่องรอยบาดแผล (trauma) เรานำผลการศึกษาไปเปรียบเทียบกับข้อมูลและผลการศึกษาสุขอนามัยของผู้คนสมัยเหล็กจากแหล่งโบราณคดีบ้านโป่งมะนาวในภาคกลางและแหล่งโบราณคดีอีก ๒ แหล่ง (แหล่งโบราณคดีบ้านเชียงและแหล่งโบราณคดีเนินอุโลก) ในภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือที่มีการศึกษามาแล้ว จากผลการศึกษา เราพบว่าโครงกระดูกของผู้คนสมัยที่แหล่งโบราณคดีพรหมทินใต้โดยทั่วไปมีร่องรอยตัวบ่งชี้สุขอนามัยค่อนข้างต่ำ ซึ่งคล้ายหรือใกล้เคียงกับสุขอนามัยของผู้คนสมัยเดียวกันที่แหล่งโบราณคดีบ้านโป่งมะนาวในภาคกลางและแหล่งโบราณคดีบ้านเชียงและแหล่งโบราณคดีเนินอุโลกในภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือ สิ่งที่แตกต่างกันอย่างน่าประหลาดก็คือผู้คนที่แหล่งโบราณคดีพรหมทินใต้มีร่องรอยโรคฟันผุน้อยหรือต่ำกว่าผู้คนจากแหล่งโบราณคดี ๓ แหล่งที่นำมาเปรียบเทียบ

Intentionally modified teeth provide a durable record of past identities, but their identification in archaeological samples has been inconsistent. This study assesses common diagnostic criteria for identifying intentional dental ablation by testing for false-positive cases of ablation in a control group of non-human primates where no true cases of dental ablation are expected. The primary author observed the dentition of 849 non-human primates from the National Museum of Natural History’s Division of Mammals, including great apes, lesser apes, and relatively large-bodied, Old-World monkeys. A smaller sample was selected for further study based on antemortem tooth absence and collection history. Seven different methodologies using combinations of six diagnostic criteria for the identification of dental ablation were chosen from a sample of published studies. To determine which criteria combinations may have falsely identified dental ablation in these specimens were, the non-human primate control group was analyzed based on anterior tooth loss, lack of disease, symmetry of loss, full healing of the alveolus, lack of evidence for trauma, and normal tooth spacing. All scoring methodologies produced false-positive results, many diverging significantly from expected results. Dental ablation was falsely identified in 2–17% of the non-human primate control group, with the highest false-positive rates when symmetry or normal spacing were not included as discriminating criteria. This work demonstrates the necessity for thorough and descriptive methodologies for replicability to be possible. It also highlights the importance of symmetry and tooth spacing as diagnostic criteria to avoid false positives. 

Dientes con modificaciones intencionales dan un registro duradero de identidades pasadas, pero su identificación en especímenes arqueológicos ha sido inconsistente. Esta investigación evalúa los criterios de diagnóstico comunes para identificar la ablación dental intencional por medio de la prueba de casos de falsos positivos de ablación en un grupo de control de primates no humanos, donde no se esperan casos verdaderos de ablación dental. El autor principal observó la dentición de 849 primates no humanos de la División de Mamíferos del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, incluso los grandes simios, los simios menores y los monos del Viejo Mundo de cuerpo relativamente grande. Se seleccionó una muestra para un análisis más profundo basado en la ausencia de dientes antemortem y la historia del espécimen. De una muestra de once investigaciones publicada, se eligieron siete metodologías diferentes que utilizan combinaciones de seis criterios de diagnóstico para la identificación de la ablación dental. Para determinar qué combinaciones de criterios pueden haber identificado falsamente la ablación dental en estos especímenes si fueran humanos, se analizó el grupo de control de primates no humanos en función de la pérdida de dientes anteriores, la falta de enfermedad, la simetría de la ausencia de dientes, la curación completa del hueso alveolar, la falta de evidencia para traumatismos y el espacio normal entre los dientes. Todos los métodos de análisis produjeron resultados falsos positivos, muchos de los 2–17% del grupo de control de primates no humanos, con las tasas más altas de falsos positivos cuando la simetría o el espacio normal no se incluyeron como criterios de discriminación. Este trabajo demuestra la necesidad de metodologías exhaustivas y descriptivas para la replicabilidad. También ilumina la importancia de la simetría y el espacio entre dientes como criterios diagnósticos para evitar falsos positivos

Research on the upper limbs of Thai skeletons has shown a relatively high level of sexual dimorphism in this population. However the wrist has not been extensively studied for sex estimation in Thailand. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the utility of carpal bones for sex estimation in a forensic context in Thailand. Fifteen (15) measurements were taken on seven carpals from 100 skeletons (50 males, 50 females) who died in the northern area of Thailand. Six of the seven carpals produced logistic regression equations with correct allocation accuracies of 84.0% or higher. The only exception was the triquetrum, which did not reach the 80% threshold. Three of the four equations with the highest estimated accuracies came from the trapezium - the highest reaching 92.0%. The trapezoid and capitate each produced one measurement with correct allocation accuracies of 87.8% or higher. The single measurement with the best combination of correct allocation accuracy (89.1%), measurement error (0.05%), and measurability (44/50 bones) on both sides is trapezium maximum length. Combining this dimension with maximum length of the 1 st metacarpal facet on the right side produced an allocation accuracy of 91.8%, with accuracies above 90% for both sexes.

Congenital conditions may affect the body either in isolation or in combination with other anomalies. Their severity ranges from minor, relatively inconsequential variants, to major malformations and syndromes with functional significance and potentially deleterious effects. While congenital conditions affecting the skeleton have long been noted in archaeological contexts worldwide, their etiological and contextual heterogeneity results in a diversity of ways in which they are culturally and biologically interpreted, both in the past and today. This entry aims to provide a broad perspective on congenital conditions and their utility in archaeological contexts, using examples varying in severity and frequency.

The Southwest United States is one of the few North American regions north of Mexico where prehistoric intentional dental modification has been identified. The practice may 1) result from diffusion from further south, 2) represent the presence of Mesoamericans in the Southwest U.S., or 3) have an independent, local origin. However, these interpretations depend on correct identification of intentional dental modification, which may be difficult in practice. The purpose of this chapter is to characterize and reassess 14 proposed cases using a single set of criteria for distinguishing between intentional and unintentional dental modification. The dentitions exhibit considerable variation in appearance and many bear characteristics suggestive of incidental chipping or occupational wear. As a practice rife with cultural implications, this exercise underscores the attention needed on the criteria on which intentionality is interpreted, particularly in regions with few cases of dental modification and no historic record of the practice.