Applications of Micro-CT Imaging in Age-At-Death Estimates of Maya Dogs

Abstract

ABSTRACT While there are many techniques for estimating age-at-death in archaeological dogs, the pulp cavity/tooth width ratio is considered one of the most accurate methods. This study adapts this technique for application to MicroCT imaging, a non-destructive methodology that is rapidly gaining ground in faunal analysis. Mandibular first molar and upper and lower canine teeth recovered from two Late Classic-Early Postclassic period sites in the Maya highlands, Moxviquil and Tenam Puente, were imaged using a SCANCO μCT35 MicroCT scanner. The widths of tooth roots, pulp cavities, cuspal enamel thicknesses, and enamel attrition measurements were then taken using both the scanner’s post-processing system and 3D Slicer, an open-access programme designed for imaging biomedical scans and other 3D files, and pulp cavity infilling ratios were calculated to obtain an age-at-death estimates in months for each specimen. Based on these, this study presents preliminary interpretations of canid age-at-death patterns at Moxviquil and Tenam Puente, including a range of juvenile specimens from a funerary cave context at Moxviquil.