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. 2023 Apr 20:653-654:3-18.
doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2022.03.003.

Beyond dirty teeth: Integrating dental calculus studies with osteoarchaeological parameters

Anita Radini  1   2 , Efthymia Nikita  3
Affiliations

Beyond dirty teeth: Integrating dental calculus studies with osteoarchaeological parameters

Anita Radini et al. Quat Int. .

Abstract

The study of ancient human dental calculus (mineralized dental plaque, also known as tartar) is becoming increasingly important in osteoarchaeology, human palaeoecology and environmental archaeology. Microremains of different origin (e.g. starch granules, pollen, phytoliths, feather barbules) as well as biomolecules and chemical compounds retrieved from its mineral matrix may represent an important link between past humans and their physical, biological and social environment, but they are rarely fully linked to the evidence from skeletal remains. This paper critically reviews the lines of evidence retrieved from dental calculus in relation to osteoarchaeological parameters, employing macroscopic, microscopic and biomolecular approaches, assessing synergy potential and limitations. The scope of this paper is also to contribute to the building of a much needed theoretical framework in this emerging subfield.

Keywords: Dental calculus; Environment; Life history; Osteoarchaeology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A: Dental calculus deposit on the teeth of individual sk218, St Michael's Parish, Medieval Leicester (1250–1400 AD), picture by Radini (2016)B: Pseudo in situ fungal debris (arrow pointing at cf. Fusarium sp.) in the process of being ‘freed’ from an ancient calculus fleck (the pale yellowish brown mass surrounding the fungal debris). Scale bar: 50 μm. Picture by Radini (2016), from a Medieval individual from Leicester UK. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
A:Trichuris sp. egg. Note the egg is still embedded in the calculus matrix (the cloudy nature of the image is due to the dissolving calculus matrix in HCl). The egg is also surrounded by amorphous organic matter, very likely humic substance from soil. B–C: Flax from the reference collection. D-F: Examples of bast fibers from calculus matrix. C is an example of fiber that showed dislocation bands. In E the fiber is ‘twisted’ and, finally, F shows a fiber identified as flax based on the clear dislocation band, the narrow lumen and the optical properties - note the similarities with the reference material (the arrow in E points to the fleck of calculus separating from the fiber). All pictures by Radini (2016).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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