Human diet in the early medieval period: Tooth wear, mastication, enamel thickness and its relationship to social stratification

0484152 - ARÚ 2018 RIV US eng A - Abstrakt
Ibrová, A. - Dupej, J. - Stránská, Petra - Velemínský, P. - Poláček, Lumír - Velemínská, J.
Human diet in the early medieval period: Tooth wear, mastication, enamel thickness and its relationship to social stratification.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology. Wiley. Roč. 162, S64 (2017), s. 226. ISSN 0002-9483. E-ISSN 1096-8644.
[Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists /86./. 19.04.2017-22.04.2017, New Orleans]
Institucionální podpora: RVO:67985912 ; RVO:68081758
Klíčová slova: Early Middle Ages * human diet * anthropology * tooth wear * Central Europe
Obor OECD: Archaeology; Archaeology (ARUB-Q)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.23210/pdf

In highly stratified medieval societies, diet is one indicator of individual's socioeconomic status. Diet leaves traces on hard tissues through mastication that causes attrition and directional asymmetry (DA) of facial skeleton. The aim of our study was to validate dietary differences between 2 burial sites of Great Moravia of presumably different socioeconomic status (acropolis, suburbium) through analysis of facial skeleton DA and attrition using methods of 3D geometric morphometrics. We expected the DA and attrition to differ between the sites. Additionally, we recorded enamel thickness of elite and rural graves. We expected the enamel thickness to differ between them, as it selectively responds to changes of subsistence. The acropolis sample had slightly lower attrition score than the suburbium. Mandible DA values did not differ between the areas. However, we found directional changes of mandibular landmarks showing right chewing side preference of the sample. Lower attrition score of acropolis may support expected higher consumption of meat in higher socioeconomic classes. However, the analysis of acropolis and suburbium did not show any significant dietary differences according to applied masticatory forces. The differences in diet were concluded to be more subtle, therefore, the enamel thickness analysis has been included.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0279313