Open AccessAbnormal Tooth Wear Caused by Tool Use Found in the Cemetery of Szalaszend, Hungary, Dated to the Period of the Hungarian Conquest (10th c.)
Author(s) -
Orsolya László,
Csilla Líbor
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
hungarian archaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2416-0296
DOI - 10.36338/ha.2021.1.4
Subject(s) - archaeology , assemblage (archaeology) , conquest , period (music) , excavation , bronze age , population , ancient history , chronology , geography , history , art , demography , sociology , aesthetics
The Archaeological Heritage Directorate of the Hungarian National Museum conducted excavations in 2018 preceding the construction of motorway M30. The site of Szalaszend–Kis-és Nagyhegy in north-east Hungary is located south of a Bronze Age earth mound. Only a few burials were brought to light from the 10th century, however, this assemblage revealed a fair amount of valuable archaeological and anthropological data. From an anthropological point of view, burial no. SNR407 was most significant, as these remains offered a glimpse into the lifestyle of this 10th-century population. The abnormal wear observed on the enamel of a front tooth of the male individual can be interpreted as a sign of a tooth-tool use, suggesting an activity when a hard object is held by the teeth during an activity that requires the use of both hands.