[Sca-cooks] State of Teeth in Middle Ages

[Johnna Holloway]

If you actually follow all the links as I did, you'll eventually come  
to the
Osteological Analysis
Towton Hall & Towton Battlefield
Towton
North Yorkshire
  Site Code: TOWMG03 & TOWARO03
NGR: SE 48444 3956 & SE 479 382

Report No 0504
June 2004

4.0 DENTAL HEALTH

Analysis of the teeth from archaeological populations provides vital  
clues about health, diet and oral hygiene, as
well as information about environmental and congenital conditions.  A  
total of 22 teeth were recovered from the
BF03, six of which were still retained in a right maxilla (Table 5).   
Additionally, two teeth were recovered from
the plough soil on the battlefield prior to the excavation BF03, which  
were included in Table 5.  No teeth were
recovered from TH03 or MG03.

The lack of skulls meant that none of the individual skeletons had  
surviving dentitions.  Similarly, no loose teeth
were recovered from the recently excavated part of the mass grave.

Table 6  Summary of teeth from BF03 snipped for length

Dental wear tends to be more common and severe in archaeological  
populations than in modern societies, and is
caused by a much coarser diet.  The severity of the anterior wear on  
the teeth recovered was greater compared
with that in the posterior teeth.  This may be because the majority of  
posterior teeth found were third molars
(wisdom teeth), which are subject to less use.

Calculus (dental plaque) is commonly observed in archaeological  
populations whose dental hygiene was not as
rigorous as it is today.  Calculus mineralises and forms concretions  
on the tooth crowns, along the line of the
gums.  Calculus was observed in the majority of teeth (70%), and was  
slight throughout.  The prevalence of
calculus was similar to that observed in the skeletons from MG96,  
which affected 78.6% of teeth (Holst and
Coughlan 2000, 81) and which is normal for medieval cemeteries.

Caries lesions (cavities) were not very common before an increase in  
the availability
of sugar in the 17th century (Roberts and Manchester 1995, 49).  Diet  
in medieval
England was largely sucrose-free for the majority of the populace.   
Only one cavity
was observed in a right canine from BF03 (see Table 5; Plate 11),  
which was large
and had destroyed most of the tooth crown.  A total of 85.7% of  
individuals from
MG96 suffered from caries, although only 8.9% of teeth were affected  
(Holst and
Coughlan 2000, 80).
Dental enamel hypoplasia (DEH) is the manifestation of lines, grooves  
or pits on the
crown surface of the teeth which represent cessation of crown  
formation.  The
snipped DEH was observed in six teeth
(28.6%), all of which were anterior teeth, with the exception of two  
premolars.  In comparison, nine individuals
(32.1%) from MG96 suffered from DEH, which affected 5.1% of the  
teeth.  This prevalence corresponds with
that observed at many medieval cemeteries.  However, the prevalence of  
DEH in the teeth from BF03 was
considerably higher.  This could suggest that the individuals who were  
buried on the battlefield were of lower
socio-demographic status, enduring a more stressful childhood than  
those individuals buried at Towton Hall, or
that the teeth recovered were coincidentally high in DEH.

Manifestations of dental injuries are commonly observed in
skeletons from archaeological excavations.  These can be the result
of bumps and falls during childhood (the cause of most dental
injuries today) (Andreasen 1981, 24), or alternatively, might be
related to interpersonal violence or combat.  A further explanation
might be the usage of teeth in occupational tasks, such as hide
preparation or mending of fishing nets.  Three ante- /peri-mortem
fractures were observed in the teeth recovered from BF03.  These
affected a first molar, a maxillary incisor and a further
unidentifiable tooth.  Infractions (chipping) of the anterior teeth are
commonly observed, while molar infractions tend to be much less
common, although ten of these were observed in soldiers from the
MG96.  The dental injuries were related either to head trauma or to  
clenching of the teeth in stressful battle
situations (Hicks, pers. comm.).

---

So these were not perfect teeth and there were caries "A total of  
85.7% of individuals from
MG96 suffered from caries".

I've ordered the actual book. Should be here next week. Has anyone  
else ordered it yet?

Johnnae
On Jan 28, 2011, at 8:15 PM, Dan Schneider wrote:

> True, but this isn't actually a report: it's closer to a museums  
> "about us" page. It's simply an introduction to the main project and  
> brief description of some of the subprojects, with very general  
> mentions of some of the findings of those subprojects. The webpage  
> also doesn't mention the proposed sequence of blows for shull 25;  
> that info, and presumably the statement about the teeth would have  
> come from either speaking with the osteologists, or reading of the  
> actual osteo reports.
>
> Dan
>