A World View of Bioculturally Modified Teeth (Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past)

“Brings together studies from diverse time periods and geographic regions to deliver a comprehensive biocultural treatment of dental modification. The volume amply documents the diversity of ways humans modify their teeth and the variety of reasons they may do so.”—Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg, author of What Teeth Reveal about Human Evolution Tooth modification has been practiced throughout many time periods and places to convey information about individual people, their societies, and their relationships to others. This volume represents the wide spectrum of intentional dental modification in humans across the globe over the past 16,000 years. These essays draw on research from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Through archaeological studies, historical and ethnographic sources, and observations of contemporary people, they examine instances of tooth filing, inlays, dyeing, and removal. Contributors discuss how to distinguish between purposeful modifications of teeth and normal wear and tear or disease. This collection demonstrates what patterns of tooth modification can reveal about people and their cultures in the past and present. A volume in the series Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives, edited by Clark Spencer Larsen Introduction / Scott E. Burnett and Joel D. Irish -- Africa: the first and the present -- Characterizing ablation in the later stone age Maghreb: chronology and significance / Isabelle De Groote and Louise T. Humphrey -- Knocking, filing, and chipping: dental modification in Sub-Saharan Africans / Joel D. Irish -- Identity marker or medicinal treatment? an exploration of the practice and purpose of dental ablation in ancient Nubia / Katelyn L. Bolhofner -- Dental modification in modern day Cape Town, South Africa: a link to the past / L.J. Friedling -- Europe and Northeast Asia: out and about -- Dental modifications of anterior teeth in the Danish Viking age / Verner Alexandersen and Niels Lynnerup -- The relationship between intentional dental ablation and hereditary agenesis in late neolithic-early bronze age China / Christine Lee -- Tooth ablation in early neolithic skeletons from Taiwan / Michael Pietrusewsky, Adam Lauer, Cheng-hwa Tsang, Kuang-ti Li, and Michele Toomay Douglas -- Biocultural perspectives of Jomon dental ablation: social complexity, identity, and visage / Amanda R. Harvey, G. Richard Scott, Evan Pellegrini, and Christy G. Turner II -- Stable isotope analysis of human skeletal remains to reveal relationships between diet and tooth ablation types during the Jomon Period in Japan / Soichiro Kusaka -- Southeast Asia, Australia, and Oceania: different lands and possibilities -- The biocultural context of dental modification in prehistoric southeast Asia / Jennifer Newton and Kate Domett -- Teeth filing in Surabayan Javanese and Balinese: a change in tradition / Myrtati D. Artaria -- Intentional dental modification and oral-dental health in Western Micronesia / Rona Ikehara-Quebral, E. Melanie Ryan, Nicolette Parr, Cherie Walth, Jolie Liston, Michael Pietrusewsky, and Michele Toomay Douglas -- Tooth ablation along the Murray River, Southeastern Australia / Colin Pardoe and Arthur C. Durband -- The Americas: a new world of modification -- Modified teeth: cultural diversity and community building at Cahokia (AD 900-1400) / Kristin M. Hedman, Julie A. Bukowski, Dawn E. Cobb, and Andrew R. Thompson -- Intentional or not? Characterization and reassessment of proposed intentional dental modification cases in the Southwest U.S. / Scott E. Burnett -- Permanent dental modifications among the ancient Maya: procedures, health risks, and social identities / Vera Tiesler, Andrea Cucina, and Marco Ram¡rez-Salomcentn -- Intra- and-inter regional variation of dental modification and social complexity: a test case from the Lower R¡o Verde, Oaxaca / Arion T. Mayes, Sarah B. Barber, and Arthur A. Joyce -- Dental modification and the expansion and manipulation of Mesoamerican identity into northwest mexico / James T. Watson and Cristina Garc¡a M -- Conclusion -- Out of regard to custom: tooth modification in the ancient and modern worlds / George R. Milner Cover......Page 1 A WORLD VIEW OF BIOCULTURALLY MODIFIED TEETH......Page 2 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 List of Figures......Page 10 List of Tables......Page 14 Foreword......Page 16 Acknowledgments......Page 20 1. Introduction to a World View of Bioculturally Modified Teeth......Page 22 PART I. AFRICA: THE FIRST AND THE PRESENT......Page 38 2. The Chronology and Significance of Ablation in the Later Stone Age Maghreb......Page 40 3. Knocking, Filing, and Chipping: Dental Modification in Sub-Saharan Africans......Page 54 4. Identity Marker or Medicinal Treatment? An Exploration of the Practice and Purpose of Dental Ablation in Ancient Nubia......Page 69 5. Dental Modification in Modern-Day Cape Town, South Africa: A Link to the Past......Page 83 PART II. EUROPE AND NORTHEAST ASIA: OUT AND ABOUT......Page 98 6. Dental Modifications of Anterior Teeth in the Danish Viking Age......Page 100 7. The Relationship between Intentional Dental Ablation and Hereditary Agenesis in Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age China......Page 113 8. Tooth Ablation in Early Neolithic Skeletons from Taiwan......Page 123 9. Biocultural Perspectives on Jomon Dental Ablation: Social Complexity, Identity, and Visage......Page 146 10. Use of Stable Isotope Analysis to Reveal Relationships between Diet and Tooth Ablation Types in Jomon Period Japan......Page 162 PART III. SOUTHEAST ASIA, AUSTRALIA, AND OCEANIA: DIFFERENT LANDS AND POSSIBILITIES......Page 178 11. The Biocultural Context of Dental Modification in Prehistoric Southeast Asia......Page 180 12. Tooth Filing in Surabayan Javanese and Balinese: A Change in Tradition......Page 203 13. Intentional Dental Modification and Oral-Dental Health in Western Micronesia......Page 214 14. Tooth Ablation along the Murray River in Southeastern Australia......Page 232 PART IV. THE AMERICAS: A NEW WORLD OF MODIFICATION......Page 248 15. Modified Teeth, Cultural Diversity, and Community Building at Cahokia (AD 900–1400)......Page 250 16. Intentional or Not? Characterization and Reassessment of Proposed Intentional Dental Modification Cases in the Present-Day Southwestern United States......Page 271 17. Permanent Dental Modifications among the Ancient Maya: Procedures, Health Risks, and Social Identities......Page 291 18. Social Complexity and Intraregional and Interregional Variation in Dental Modification: A Test Case from the Lower Río Verde Valley, Oaxaca......Page 306 19. Dental Modification and the Expansion and Manipulation of Mesoamerican Identity into Northwest Mexico......Page 319 PART V. CONCLUSION......Page 336 20. Out of Regard to Custom: Tooth Modification in the Ancient and Modern Worlds......Page 338 List of Contributors......Page 352 Index......Page 356 Tooth modification is the longest-lasting type of body modification and the most widespread in the archaeological record. It has been practiced throughout many time periods and on every occupied continent and conveys information about individual people, their societies, and their relationships to others. This necessary volume presents the wide spectrum of intentional dental modification in humans across the globe over the past 16,000 years. These essays draw on research from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Through archaeological studies, historical and ethnographic sources, and observations of contemporary people, contributors examine instances of tooth filing, notching, inlays, dyeing, and removal. They discuss how to distinguish between these purposeful modifications of teeth and normal wear and tear or disease while demonstrating what patterns of tooth modification can reveal about people and their cultures in the past and present. A volume in the series Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives, edited by Clark Spencer Larsen Verner Alexandersen | Myrtati D. Artaria | Sarah B. Barber | Katelyn L. Bolhofner | Julie A. Bukowski | Scott E. Burnett | Dawn E. Cobb | Andrea Cucina | Isabelle De Groote | Kate Domett | Michele Toomay Douglas | Arthur C. Durband | L.J. Friedling | Cristina Garca M. | Amanda R. Harvey | Kristin M. Hedman | Louise T. Humphrey | Joel D. Irish | Arthur A. Joyce | Adam Lauer | Christine Lee | Kuang-ti Li | Jolie Liston | Niels Lynnerup | Arion T. Mayes | George R. Milner | Jennifer Newton | Colin Pardoe | Nicolette Parr | Evan Pellegrini | Michael Pietrusewsky | Marco Ramrez-Salomn | E. Melanie Ryan | G. Richard Scott | Vera Tiesler | Andrew R. Thompson | Cheng-hwa Tsang | Christy G. Turner II | Cherie Walth | James T. Watson 'Brings together studies from diverse time periods and geographic regions to deliver a comprehensive biocultural treatment of dental modification. The volume amply documents the diversity of ways humans modify their teeth and the variety of reasons they may do so.'--Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg, author of What Teeth Reveal about Human Evolution Tooth modification is the longest-lasting type of body modification and the most widespread in the archaeological record. It has been practiced throughout many time periods and on every occupied continent and conveys information about individual people, their societies, and their relationships to others. This necessary volume presents the wide spectrum of intentional dental modification in humans across the globe over the past 16,000 years. These essays draw on research from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Through archaeological studies, historical and ethnographic sources, and observations of contemporary people, contributors examine instances of tooth filing, notching, inlays, dyeing, and removal. They discuss how to distinguish between these purposeful modifications of teeth and normal wear and tear or disease while demonstrating what patterns of tooth modification can reveal about people and their cultures in the past and present. A volume in the series Bioarchaeological Interpretations of the Human Past: Local, Regional, and Global Perspectives, edited by Clark Spencer Larsen "Tooth modification is the longest-lasting type of body modification and the most widespread in the archaeological record. It has been practiced throughout many time periods and on every occupied continent and conveys information about individual people, their societies, and their relationships to others. This necessary volume presents the wide spectrum of intentional dental modification in humans across the globe over the past 16,000 years. These essays draw on research from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Through archaeological studies, historical and ethnographic sources, and observations of contemporary people, contributors examine instances of tooth filing, notching, inlays, dyeing, and removal. They discuss how to distinguish between these purposeful modifications of teeth and normal wear and tear or disease while demonstrating what patterns of tooth modification can reveal about people and their cultures in the past and present."--Page 4 de la couverture The subject of this volume is intentional dental modification-changing the human appearance by removing teeth, or otherwise altering their shape, surface, or color. It has been practiced, in one form or another, on every occupied continent at some point over the past 16,000 years. The contributions in this volume encompass a diverse body of work on the subject over this timespan, from Africa, Europe, the Americas, Australia, Oceania, and Asia This book presents the wide spectrum of intentional dental modification in humans across the globe over the past 16,000 years. Contributors discuss how to distinguish between purposeful modifications of teeth and normal wear and tear or disease while demonstrating what patterns of tooth modification can reveal about people and their cultures in the past and present.--Publisher description