Oral paleopathological investigation of the Avar period (6–7th c. CE) population from Nagykőrös

Abstract

The main goal of the research is to widen our knowledge about oral health during the Early Avar Period (6–7th c. CE). We used the individual and tooth count method to record abrasion, caries, antemortem tooth loss, periapical lesions, linear enamel hypoplasia, calculus and dental trauma of 26 individuals from the Nagykőrös-Kovács tanya site (9 males, 6 females, 11 subadults). The examination of the remains showed the noteworthy presence of dental abrasion and calculus among subadults, which increased with age. Only the tooth count analysis revealed a significant difference between the adults, as females had more teeth with caries and hypoplasia, while for calculus males had increased intensity in their dentition. The comparison with Late Avar Period skeletal assemblages from other geographic regions indicated possible spatial or temporal trends of oral health.