Abstract
The origin and dispersion of the first Americans have been extensively investigated from morphological and genetic perspectives, but few studies have focused on their health and lifestyle. The archaeological site of Lapa do Santo, central-eastern Brazil, has exceptionally preserved Early Holocene human skeletons, providing 19 individuals with 327 permanent and 122 deciduous teeth dated to 9,250 to 7,500 years BP. In this study, we test whether the inhabitants of Lapa do Santo had high prevalence of dental caries as previous studies of Lagoa Santa collection have indicated, using individual and tooth as units of analyses. The results show a high prevalence of dental caries in the permanent dentition (5.50%, n=327 teeth; 69.23%, n=13 individuals) compared to other samples of hunter-gatherers worldwide. In addition, dental caries in deciduous teeth start occurring as early as 3 to 4 years old, suggesting an early start to caries. Compared with other samples from Lagoa Santa, Lapa do Santo shows statistically similar prevalence of overall caries but different caries location pattern. We believe that a subsistence adaptation to a tropical environment rich in sources of carbohydrates, such as fruits, is the best explanation for the overall caries prevalence.
Highlights
Hundreds of human remains from Early Holocene have been found in the rock shelters of the Lagoa Santa region, since the first excavations of Peter Lund in the 1830s and 1840s (Araujo et al 2012, Holten and Sterll 2011)
The careful exhumation and curation of human skeletons at Lapa do Santo resulted in a high number of teeth per mouth (25 teeth per individual compared to just 10 teeth for the other sites of Lagoa Santa), allowing a more complete understanding of the oral health of each individual
The dental pathologies found in the teeth of the Lapa do Santo assemblage reveal a population with relatively high prevalence of dental caries, which started as early as 3 to 4 years old
Summary
Hundreds of human remains from Early Holocene have been found in the rock shelters of the Lagoa Santa region, since the first excavations of Peter Lund in the 1830s and 1840s (Araujo et al 2012, Holten and Sterll 2011). Neves archaeological site in the region, named Lapa do Santo (Figure 1). Several reasons qualify this sample as unique in local and continental contexts. Differing from other sites in the region, the Lapa do Santo rock shelter was excavated using modern archaeological techniques, such as the use of a total station, providing a detailed spatial record of the archaeological remains. This site was extensively dated using both indirect (52 dates on charcoal) and direct radiocarbon dates (13 dates on bone and tooth). The careful exhumation and curation of human skeletons at Lapa do Santo resulted in a high number of teeth per mouth (25 teeth per individual compared to just 10 teeth for the other sites of Lagoa Santa), allowing a more complete understanding of the oral health of each individual
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