Age estimation of wild boar based on molariform mandibular tooth development and its application to seasonality at the Mesolithic site of Ringkloster, Denmark

Abstract

Age estimation based on the dentition of animal remains is one of the most important methods used for analysis of the demography of past as well as contemporary animal populations by zooarchaeologists and wild game biologists (Wagenknecht 1967; Silver 1969; Morris 1972; Wilson et al. 1982). By constructing age profiles from faunal remains it is possible to study hunting of wild boar and pig husbandry in past societies (Higham 1967a; Rolett & Chiu 1994; Vigne et al. 2000a; Magnell 2005a). Age estimation can also be used for assessing seasonal occupation of settlements and slaughtering of pigs (Legge & Rowley-Conwy 1988; Rowley-Conwy 1993, 1998; Ervynck 1997). Several contributions to this volume provide good examples of how different aspects of the past relationship between humans and pigs can be understood from estimations of age. Age estimations based on tooth development have several advantages over ageing methods based on tooth eruption and wear. Experiments with undernourished pigs have shown that the tooth development is less affected by environmental factors than tooth eruption (McCance et al. 1961). A problem with age estimation of domestic animals based on tooth eruption is that the ages at eruption are known to vary between different breeds (Habermehl 1961; Silver 1969; Reiland 1978; Bull & Payne 1982). The rate of tooth wear is also variable between, and within, different populations as a result of several factors such as variation in tooth morphology, eruption, coarseness, and abrasives in the diet (Healy & Ludwig 1965; Grant 1978, 1982; Deniz & Payne 1982; Magnell 2005b). However, tooth development seems to vary less between different populations. In cattle, roe deer, and red deer no consistent differences between various breeds/populations or between males and females have been noted in tooth development (Brown et al. 1960: 27; Carter 2001a). An advantage with age estimation based on tooth development is that the method considers several definable stages in the formation of all molariform teeth. Because the method is based on several characteristics in the dentition it is possible to give a very accurate assessment of dental maturity and the age of a specimen.