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| Figure 1: Incisor teeth inlaid with gold (Source: Ancient-Origins.net) |
Move over pearly whites and golden grills! The
obsession with our teeth is not a recent phenomenon but one that started
several millennia ago. Intentional dental
modifications were and continue to be a global phenomenon, but this blog post
will focus on intentional dental modifications that existed in antiquity. This topic will be explored through the
prevalence, type, and motivations of the practice.
Dental modifications occur through various means, be it unintentionally
or intentionally. Unintentional dental
modifications happen through repetitious motions related to occupation, accidental
fractures, etc. Intentional
modifications, however, require forethought and desire to change the look or
presence of teeth in the jaws. It is
quite common to alter teeth today through medical intervention, specifically
through orthodontic treatment, but the earliest dental modification was
practiced through a cruder means in the 7th century BC among the
Etruscans. Intentional dental
modification can be found among societies on every continent throughout
antiquity, which underscores its popularity.
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| Figure 2: Dental Cutting/Filing (Source: University of Minnesota-Duluth) |
These modifications were meant to be flashy and noticed, and
therefore they were isolated to the labial teeth, specifically the incisors and
canines. Intentional dental
modifications included tooth removal, inlays (Figure 1), cutting (Figure 2), incising (Figure 3), and staining
teeth. A variety of different patterns
were used to cut and incise teeth, which varied culturally. Teeth were drilled for gold, pyrite, and jade
inlays, which were cut precisely to fit into the tooth/teeth. Tooth staining occurred through the habitual
chewing of specific plants, such as betel leaves, tobacco, or coca.
The motivations for practicing intentional dental
modifications varied cross culturally, as well.
They included rites of passage, ethnicity, social status, aesthetics, mourning
the loss of a loved one, fighting off evil spirits, appear fearsome in battle, or
other more obscure reasons. Some
scholars have debated if gender was a motivating factor in completing dental
modifications, but this does not seem to be the case. The most common motivation cited in the literature
is social status, though, which is not too far off from modern motivations for intentional
dental modifications.
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| Figure 3: Incised teeth (Source: Forsyth Gallery) |
In conclusion, intentional dental modifications have a long
history among human groups worldwide.
The types and motivations for such practices vary and provide great
insights into the groups that practiced it.
With what we currently know about dental modification one would think
that we have discovered all of the secrets associated with this practice, but
that is not the case. New information is
constantly being discovered, and it will be interesting to see what information
is discovered next.
Bibliography
Barnes, D.M. 2010. “Dental
Modification: An Anthropological Perspective.”
University of Tennessee Honor Thesis.
Haour, A. and J.A. Pearson.
2005. “An Instance of Dental
Modification on a Human Skeleton from Niger, West Africa.” Oxford
Journal of Archaeology 24:
427-433.
Mayes, A.; A. Joyce; S. Barber; C. Morgan. 2015. “Intra
and Inter Regional Variation of Dental Modification and Social Complexity: A
Test from the Lower Río Verde Valley, Oaxaca.”
Presented at The 80th Annual Meeting of the Society for American
Archaeology, San Francisco, California. 2015 ( tDAR id: 395458)
Mower, J. P. 1999. “Deliberate Ante-mortem Dental Modification
and Its Implications in Archaeology, Ethnography, and Anthropology.” Papers
from the Institute of Archaeology 10:
37-53.
Pacey, L. 2014. “Viking Teeth Offer Insight into Cultural
Status.” British Dental Journal 216:
445.
Pritchard, B.
2011. “Maya Cranial and Dental
Modifications.” Totem: The University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology 14: 57-77.
Roksandic, M.; K. Alarie; R.R. Suárez; E. Huebner; I.
Roksandic. 2016. “Not of African Descent: Dental Modification
among Indigenous Caribbean People from Canímar Abajo, Cuba.” PLOS
One 11: 1-15.
Ullinger, J. No
Date. “It’s the Tooth: Dental Remains
& Archaeology.” Asor Blog. http://asorblog.org/2009/04/12/its-the-tooth-dental-remains-archaeology/
Wasterlain, S.N.; M.J. Neves; M.T. Ferreira. 2015. “Dental
Modifications in a Skeletal Sample of Enslaved Africans Found at Lagos
(Portugal).” International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 26: 621-632.
61 comments:
Is this one of the reasons that people and rappers now wear golden grills ?
When people practiced these intentional dental modifications did they teeth had to come out
I do not know the specific reasons as to why individuals today opt to wear grills, although part of the reason ties back to status (and demonstrating one has the wealth associated with said status). But the motivation to create grills may have come from this or other cultural practice. :)
Was these dental practices a way to express how people felt during the time
Dental modifications include braces as well correct? When people colored their teeth did they do this for a specific reason or did it just happen naturally and they did not care? It is interesting that humans have been modifying their teeth in other ways to show their love for someone when they pass, for example. I'm sure if they were introduced to our generation they would think very differently about us, just as we do to them.
Tatum Prenger
Just as most other fashion trends the modifications are about status and separating oneself from another. But I would like to know how they dealt with the pain of these modifications and also did they use any numbing or sedating to perform these acts.
As most of other trends I feel as though the modifications are used to show status and to also separate oneself from another, pretty much the same affect that expensive jewelry has today. I am interested to know how they dealt with the pain, if they used numbing or sedation techniques while performing these modifications.
Excellent question, Tarrion, and one that is addressed in the post itself. As noted above the dental modifications were meant to represent several things, including rites of passage (e.g. being the best warrior, entering into adulthood, being married, etc.), ethnicity, social status, aesthetics/beauty, mourning the loss of a loved one, fighting off evil spirits, appear fearsome in battle, or other more obscure reasons.
Great insight, Tatum. Yes, braces are a type of dental modification (and an intentional one at that). I worked with an orthodontist for part of my doctoral research and he was always so jazzed to talk about his dental modification work and how it closely related to archaeology. :)
As for coloring ones teeth this act can be either intentional or unintentional. People who intentionally colored their teeth did so with a specific purpose in mind, and therefore also carefully chose the color and means of changing the color of the enamel of their teeth. Unintentional discoloration typically occurs unknowingly (e.g. drinking too much coffee or tea or smoking profusely), but people sometimes neglect to change their habits, thereby continuing the process unintentionally (although intentionally at some level as well if the process is brought to their attention). For example, I know that each time I drink tea I am staining my teeth, but I refuse to give up tea drinking. I do not want to stain my teeth, but I am doing so by continuing my tea drinking habit.
We do have some evidence of sedation occurring in some but not all cases. It is unclear if this sedation was intentional or not or if the pain was just part of the process.
Your blog mentioned how people use to change their teeth in means of battle or war. This caught my attention because in the Hindu movie OngBak 2, Starring Tony Jaa, I noticed they were modifying the actors teeth whenever they were going into battle or war. However, in other scenes of the movie their teeth would look just fine. At first, I thought it was weird, like whenever he'd grunt or yell during battle his mouth looked like a rotten apple, but later learned that the teeth rotting in the movie was to enhance aggression and fierceness it was a part of their battle gear to frighten their opponents. I don't know if this concept or tradition is real in Hindu religion, but it really made me curious about it's meaning.
Interesting. I have not stumbled upon that in my research on dental modifications, specifically with the Hindi. I have seen something like that with the Huns and cranial modification, though.
Do you believe that in the process of fixing a persons smile or reinserting the tooth, they will stick to the factors of using gold, pyrite, and jade inlays, which were cut precisely to fit into the tooth? In this case with technology and the resources we have today do you think they could of came up with the idea of dentures sooner?
We actually do not have any evidence to suggest that dental intervention of putting teeth back in or covering a cavity were completed (to my knowledge). Furthermore, I believe that study to determine if they were doing so (for cavities) has already been done and discovered that it was not a motivation for inlaying teeth.
Could another reason for these dental modifications be due to physical attractiveness? In other words do you think it was considered flashy and cute or a meaning that you have money?
Yes, that is one the motivations cited in the paper (under aesthetics). :)
I had read an article that said teeth were such an obsession that it was used to make jewelry with in some cultures, but often times it would be from another animal. Hunters in some cultures would collect bones, teeth, or some form of rock to bring back to their villages to be utilized. Has there been any findings of human teeth used for added accessories?
Do you know if they still perform some of these dental modification?
You know, Trey, I don't know. I've not looked into that matter. Perhaps that will become the topic of your research paper (or something along those lines since exclusively teeth may be too narrow of a topic)? :)
I'm not aware among the descendants of the cultural groups I have studied continuing these types of practices, but it would not surprise me if others did. I do know that it's a bit of a fetish to file down one's teeth among some members of subcultural groups in our society, but I do not know if it is a larger fad among other societies and cultures.
I have a few questions. So basically people used to purposely stain their teeth? Also,what about pain? I know these procedures were painful, I'm going to look up what type of old medicines were used to numb, or ease pain. I like the idea of diamonds, golds, and jewels to show social class, that would be really pretty.
Yes, Kre, people did intentionally stain their teeth. As for pain there is some evidence of sedation, but I encourage you to follow through on looking into the matter yourself. :)
Its obvious that they didn't have the dental hygiene that we do today, so maybe that is a another reason they did the modifications to show class and take away from nasty mouth. but today why do people have grills and all the modifications to there teeth that arnt necessary. Because does it not cause tooth decay and other nasty mouth stuff? so why do it now when you can show status in so many other ways.
I have a couple questions. When mourning the loss of a loved one what type of dental modifications would be used, also what culture practiced this?
I cannot comment on modern day dental modifications, such as grills, but I can comment on past ones, which did increase the likelihood of dental pathological conditions in certain conditions. If the dental cavity was exposed or the enamel weakened and the diet conducive to bacterial growth then infections, cavities, etc. could occur.
As for status, there are different ways of conveying status in any culture, and there is typically a hierarchy/level of prestige associated with those high status markers. For example, owning a car is a visible marker of status in our society/culture, but the type of car will also determine what sort of status you have. Someone who owns a Toyota will most likely have less status than someone who owns a BMW, and this individual will have less status than someone who owns a Lamborghini. So that most likely determined whether or not someone elected (or had little choice in the matter) to have dental modifications vs not.
Great question, Mara. I believe that reference came from Brian Pritchard, who I went to graduate school with and was present for many conversations about his paper that is cited here. I didn't see any specific information on these topics in my initial research, and specific references are sparse. I was able to find something about tooth removal for mourning among the Neolithic Taiwanese, though. The prevelance of such practices among other groups is unknown by me at this time. As you're interested in the subject you should look into it. :)
Ugh, I just cant imagine what way that would be cool or a fad. I would think it would be more like torture because of the pain!
Think of all the fashion trends that you may have participated in that were painful or uncomfortable, such as wearing high heels, skinny jeans, etc.* People do tortuous things in the name of fashion all the time, including today. People do these things because they want to fit in, it's expected, or other reasons.
*Note, I don't know if you've done any of these things. These are just suggestions of fashion statements that are known to cause pain/discomfort.
Teeth jewelry has been going on for a very long time and its some people that's still doing this today. It may not be the same styles but its still the same concept (for fashion).
So, in the 7th century Bc is when teeth were first modfied? Everything has to start off somewhere and I'm wondering if this is when the start of teeth modification began. Just our of curiosity.
Yes, that date is currently correct based on the information available at the publication of the blog post. As we are discovering new information all the time that date may move back, though. :)
Does having dental modifications show signs of any type of social class?
in the past and today definitely. Typically it was/is associated with upper class status.
Do they still perform some of these dental modification?
Jaeda Lowe
From what I know these groups do not still practice dental modifications, although some groups, including those in the US, do.
S. Carter
I'm not sure if I misread or what, but staining was a part of the modifications made back then. Today, stained teeth would be a sign of lower class or someone not having the means for dental treatment. I understand the other modifications, but why would they want their teeth stained or were they talking about what we call today, whitening?
Cultural norms can and do change. Staining teeth in the past was the equivalent of whitening them today. This is no different than how several centuries ago a fat woman was considered more desirable than a skinny one. As well pale women were seen as higher status than tanned women who were seen as working outside and therefore unable to afford servants. Cultural norms change, and therefore we have to be aware of that when we interpret the past.
It’s interesting how teeth modification has come a long way. My thoughts where that teeth modification was sort of a newer generation idea, but people have been intentionally putting golds on their teeth for social stats for a while now.
what tools were used for the teeth modification since the technology was light years behind?
Actually, the technology was pretty good for them. We have evidence of various cultures in the past performing surgery with basic tools, and let's not forget that several ancient cultures created monumental architectural works that have spearheaded archaeological studies and inquiry. As for tooth modification they used a variety of tools, ranging from stone to bone tools. :)
I wonder if any numbing medicine/serum was used when drilling on the teeth? I also wonder if the cost was as much as it is now to have work done to your teeth for intentional modifications.
Logan Taylor
There is ethnohistoric evidence that suggests some sort of anesthesia was use, but nothing like what we use today. Most often people were drunk or high.
Is it believed that these remains of human teeth with gold inlaid in them to be ordinary people or might they have been royalty?
Figure one looks very interesting to me. If someone wanted to take the gold from the teeth and figure 1 and sell it would they be able to? Intersting Info !!
-Daisha Benton
i find this article very interesting. individuals have been deliberately putting golds on their teeth for social details for some time now.
This article is very interesting to me, because I've always wondered where have the idea of putting golds or making golds to put on your teeth be a popular trend. As, in this article i can say can relate to where braces might have started from since their was early forms of dental modification.
Dalyla Jordan
Are these modifications still done today? Is this how the job as a dentist was developed?
Is this a reason for why they did these dental modifications due to physical attractiveness or was it to be flashy and seen different?
Ainya Lomax
Besides man made modifications, have teeth evolved as much as other physical attributes? Have we always had 32 teeth, or have we had our teeth stay consistently similar throughout history?
Chandler, you should know the answer to that after taking SA 202. :)
It's crazy to know that even teeth have evolved over the years, millions of years ago people didn't care about how white their teeth are but now people will pay hundreds of dollars to get their teeth whitened.
Do you know if the modifications were done before adulthood?
it amazes me that in todays time, were are still fascinated with the idea of having a million dollar smile. having dental modifications was something that has dobviously been practiced for thousands of years. cultural norms live on forever.
It does not appear juveniles had their teeth modified. Deciduous (baby) teeth are incredibly small and are lost throughout childhood, meaning any effort and work would be lost, too. That limits the need and desire to modify juvenile's teeth.
It is nice to know that getting jewelry on your teeth goes as far back as the 7th century BC. I thought that getting jewelry on your teeth was only something that they did back in the 90's but I guess not . Also was this something used back in this time to use their teeth to identify them like how they use dental records now a days . - Mykia Chaney
I had my first grill set in high school. That thought that this already happened years ago amazed me. I wonder did it hurt when they added modifications to their teeth?
Why did they stain their teeth on purpose? Is this why people walk around with grills in their mouths?
Having dental modifications show a sign of wealth or attractiveness?
- Malacia Lowe
I wonder how they got the modifications. did they have to take their teeth out or did they just do the procedure with the tooth still attached? I wonder if it hurt.
-tae'lor pearson
In today's culture teeth modification is praised through jewelry or as we call them 'Grills". It just shocks me that the process has been around for years but I guess time really does repeat itself in different forms.
I never knew how far back in history humans have performed dental modifications. The furthest back I remember about dental modifications in history was George washing ton using his slave's teeth for dentures. I wonder how long the practice of "borrowing teeth" has happened and when did medical professions finally see this as un-sanitary and barbaric.
-Gavin G
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