Dental Pathologies and Diet in the Middle Woodland Burials from Helena Crossing, Arkansas

Abstract

The goal of this study is to evaluate dental lesions and infer the diet of those interred at Helena Crossing, Arkansas. Helena Crossing is located in Southeastern North America and dates to the Middle Woodland Period (150 B.C. ± 75–A.D. 335 ± 75). Until now, no systematic dental analysis has been done in this group. For the purpose of this study, all remains were macroscopically examined for age, sex, and dental pathologies. Adult teeth presented antemortem tooth loss (AMTL; 8.3%), dental wear (100%; mode = 3), alveolar resorption (100%; x̄ = 3.0), calculus deposits (44.8%), hypoplastic defects (12.2%), and caries (11.8%). Subadult teeth were slightly worn (70.5%; x̄ = 2), and showed small calculus deposits (25.6%; x̄ = 1.1), caries (2.5%), and hypoplastic defects (16.4%). The results show that those buried at Helena Crossing ate a diet that was soft, well cooked, and possibly rich in carbohydrates, where domesticated plants may have been an important component.