Correlation between dental occlusal wear and approximal facet length

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between occlusal surface wear and approximal facet length in a North American archaeological sample of modern human hunter–gatherers (n = 111) and agriculturalists (n = 123). First maxillary molars (M¹) were selected. The approximal wear facet was measured on the mesial surface of each M¹ at the widest breadth using needle tipped digital callipers. Digital images were taken of the occlusal surface and wear was recorded as the percentage of dentine exposed to the total occlusal surface. Independent age estimate was based on age‐related changes, (pubic symphysis and auricular surface). Results show the hunter–gatherers had a significantly faster rate of wear on both tooth surfaces compared to the agriculturalists in each of the four age groups. Both lifeway groups showed a positive correlation between the two tooth surfaces during the early stages of tooth wear (less than 25% occlusal wear), where the percentage of occlusal wear and the length of the approximal facet increased at a similar rate. During the middle and final stages of tooth wear (occlusal wear greater than 35%) there was a strong negative correlation between the two surfaces in both groups. It is suggested this pattern is due to the shape and function of the M¹. Both correlations were more extreme in the hunter–gatherers than the agriculturalists. When the per cent of occlusal wear exceeded 35% the length of the approximal facet started to decrease, and it is therefore recommended studies that include approximal wear exclude molars with heavy occlusal wear. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Monumentalization and ritual landscapes at Fort Center in the Lake Okeechobee basin of South Florida

Why do some places seem to emerge out of a void and then continue to be occupied for millennia? How do historical factors contribute to this process? Examples of sites with grand and lengthy occupational histories can be found in the Lake Okeechobee basin of South Florida. Our research at one such site, Fort Center, contributes to the broader theoretical understanding of these issues by examining and evaluating some of the architectural constructions at this famous site. In order to conceptualize such sites, we introduce the concept of persistent monumental places. We use this notion to structure our discussion of geophysical and archaeological data on the earthworks of Fort Center in an attempt to historicize its development as an enduring place as well as microcosm of the surrounding landscape. We suggest that such a perspective aids in the investigation of larger social, economic, ritual, and environmental dimensions related to monument construction and use in the region.     

Humans,Birds and Burial Practices at Ipiutak,Alaska: Perspectivism in the Western Arctic

ABSTRACT

Archaeological and ethnohistoric evidence from the coast of western Alaska and St. Lawrence Island indicate that human inhabitants over the past 1500–2000 years incorporated birds into their diets, cosmologies, material culture, and daily activities. Following a brief discussion of the archaeological and ethnohistoric evidence for human–bird relations, this article explores the evidence for birds as both an economic and cosmological resource at the Ipiutak site on the northwest coast of Alaska. Several lines of evidence indicate that hunters and shamans have consistently attempted to mimic or acquire the abilities and physical attributes of select bird taxa, reflecting a sophisticated knowledge of bird behaviours and life histories. A specific concern with vision – shamanic, predatory, and post-mortem – is inferred from an unusual Ipiutak burial assemblage that contained a loon skull with ivory eyes. Considered in light of the broader cemetery assemblage, which includes artefacts with bird imagery, the Ipiutak material is interpreted as evidence of perspectivism in western arctic prehistory.     

Occlusal microwear texture analysis and the diets of historical/prehistoric hunter‐gatherers

With the exception of few studies, occlusal microwear of pre‐agricultural modern humans has not been documented. In this study, microwear fabrics of samples from seven historic/prehistoric hunter‐gatherer populations with known and diverse dietary habits, representing mostly meat‐eaters from different environments, arctic/tundra (Tigara from Point Hope), cold‐steppe (Fuegians) and Mediterranean (Chumash), and mixed‐diet hunter‐gatherers from tropical climates (Andamanese and Khoe‐San from Matjes River, Riet River, and Oakhurst Shelter), were analysed to better understand how dietary differences affect microwear in these groups and to establish a reasonable comparative database for interpreting fossil hominins microwear. Significant microwear differences, related to diet and food preparation techniques, between the meat‐eaters and mixed‐diet hunter‐gatherers were detected. Finer scale differences within each of these dietary categories were also observed. Ethnographic accounts indicate that the Tigara and Andamanese ingested hard particles attached to their food as a result of their food preparation techniques; their microwear fabrics also reflect highly abrasive diets. On the other hand, as expected, the microwear signatures of the Chumash and Fuegians indicate a diet low in abrasives, reflecting their almost exclusive reliance on marine meat for subsistence and the low amounts of extraneous particles attached to this meat. The mixed‐diet Khoe‐San occupy an intermediate position between the Tigara and Andamanese on the one hand, and the Chumash and Fuegians on the other, with regard to the level of abrasives ingested. The Khoe‐San ate large amounts of hard plants, most likely responsible for abrading their enamel surface. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.