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Variation in occlusal dental wear of two Chalcolithic populations in the southern Levant
Author(s) -
Chattah N. LevTov,
Smith P.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.20388
Subject(s) - chalcolithic , southern levant , dentistry , variation (astronomy) , geography , archaeology , medicine , bronze age , physics , astrophysics
Occlusal wear rate and wear plane in two Chalcolithic (∼6500–5500 BP) samples from the southern Levant were compared, using paired first and second mandibular molars. Though food staples in both societies were derived from agro‐pastoralism, they were located in distinct environmental regions: Wadi (W.) Makkukh in the Judean desert, and Peqi'in in the Upper Galilee. Accordingly, it was predicted that variation in wear should occur due to their location in distinct environments. Jaw size and tooth size were measured to estimate the possible impact of these variables on wear scores. Molar occlusal surfaces were divided into four quadrants, and wear scores were recorded for each quadrant. Principal axis analysis was then performed between total wear scores of paired, adjacent first and second molars to assess wear rates. Principal axis analysis was also used to analyze the change in occlusal wear plane in each sample by comparing between‐buccal‐cusps wear scores of the first molar with lingual wear scores of the second molar. The results indicate that the occlusal wear plane was similar in both samples but that wear tended to be more rapid in W. Makkukh. Since both samples were similar in jaw/tooth size, it is argued that the results reflect less refined food‐processing methods as well as the unintentional ingestion of sand by individuals interred in the Judean desert. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.