Microwear Analysis Research Articles

Dental diseases and dental wear as a proxy for dietary patterns in Hellenistic-early Roman Menainon, Sicily

ObjectiveThis paper explores dental diseases and wear as a proxy for dietary patterns in Hellenistic-early Roman Menainon. MaterialsThis study includes 166 individuals (4th-1st c. BCE). MethodsCarious lesions, dental calculus, antemortem tooth loss, and dental wear were recorded to explore male-female and adult-juvenile differences, and to position Menainon in the broader Hellenistic/early Roman world through comparisons with published data from other sites. ResultsMales and females showed similar rates of dental diseases. Dental wear, in contrast, was systematically greater in males. Caries rates were high in both adults and juveniles, but adults showed more calculus. The population from Menainon had higher frequencies for calculus and carious lesions compared to contemporary Italian and Greek assemblages, and a similar frequency for antemortem tooth loss. ConclusionSome sex-related differences in the dietary patterns of the Menainon population were visible but small. The diet of adults and juveniles must have been similar in terms of carbohydrate consumption but different with regard to protein consumption. The high frequency of carious lesions and calculus compared to other Greco-Roman sites suggests that this population must have had good access to dietary resources (protein and carbohydrates). SignificanceThis paper provides insights on gender (sex-related) and age divisions in the Hellenistic/early Roman society through the exploration of food consumption in a Sicilian assemblage. LimitationsDividing the assemblage by sex and age group reduced considerably the sample size. Suggestions for further researchStable isotopes and dental microwear analyses should be used to investigate dietary patterns further.

Investigating the dietary niches of fossil Plio-Pleistocene European macaques: The case of Macaca majori Azzaroli, 1946 from Sardinia

The genus Macaca includes medium- to large-bodied monkeys and represents one of the most diverse primate genera, also having a very large geographic range. Nowadays, wild macaque populations are found in Asia and Africa, inhabiting a wide array of habitats. Fossil macaques were also present in Europe from the Late Miocene until the Late Pleistocene. Macaques are considered ecologically flexible monkeys that exhibit highly opportunistic dietary strategies, which may have been critical to their evolutionary success. Nevertheless, available ecological information regarding fossil European species is very sparse, limiting our knowledge of their evolutionary history in this geographic area. To further our understanding of fossil European macaque ecology, we investigated the dietary ecology of Macaca majori, an insular endemic species from Sardinia. In particular, we characterized the dental capabilities and potential dietary adaptations of M. majori through dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses of two M2s from the Early Pleistocene site of Capo Figari (1.8 Ma). We also assessed its diet through dental microwear texture analysis, while the microwear texture of M. majori was also compared with microwear textures from other European fossil macaques from mainland Europe. The dental topographic and enamel thickness analyses suggest that M. majori frequently consumes hard/mechanically challenging and/or abrasive foods. The results of the dental microwear analysis are consistent with this interpretation and further suggest that M. majori probably exhibited more durophagous dietary habits than mainland Plio-Pleistocene macaques. Overall, our results indicate that M. majori probably occupied a different dietary niche compared to its mainland fossil relatives, which suggests that they may have inhabited different paleoenvironments.

A combined approach to reconstructing livestock management in Iron Age north-eastern Iberia: estimating the season of death and palaeodiet using cementochronology and dental micro- and mesowear analyses

Two major settlements were established in the Empordà region (north-eastern Iberian Peninsula) in the Iron Age (6th-2nd centuries BC), 15 km from each other: the Greek colony of Empúries and the Iberian city of Ullastret. This coexistence of two different ethnic entities in the same region – and the same environment – presents an opportunity to shed light on the variability of livestock practices in these settlements, as well as their relationship with the environment. For this purpose, in addition to traditional zooarchaeological approaches, we reconstructed the animal palaeodiet and seasonality of death using three different proxies: dental meso- and microwear analyses, and cementum analysis. The results of the study, conducted on caprine and bovine teeth from both sites, support the hypothesis proposed in previous works, namely that the environment was exploited differently depending on livestock species. Caprinae (sheep and goats) were fed in marginal areas and less suitable areas for agriculture while, in contrast, cattle grazed on rich grassland and/or in wetland areas. The combination of cementochronology and dental microwear suggests a lower consumption of grasses in summer for Caprinae and cattle. Seasonality results show that Caprinae were mainly slaughtered during spring and summer.

Too good to go? Neanderthal subsistence strategies at Prado Vargas Cave (Burgos, Spain)

Understanding the relationship between Neanderthal groups and their environment and they it is essential to comprehending their ways of life. In this article, we use both zooarchaeology and taphonomy to study the fauna assemblages found in Level 4 of Prado Vargas Cave (Cornejo, Burgos, Spain). The results point to a site in which the main accumulating agent was Neanderthal groups, who transported small- and medium-sized animal carcasses—with deer as the dominant taxon—according to their general utility to systematically and intensely exploit the major muscle bundles, bone marrow, skin, and tendons. According to dental microwear analysis, reiterated and prolonged occupations occurred in diverse moments, suggesting that the site was used most often as a long-term campsite. We detected a minimal amount of carnivore activity, who accessed the cave during periods of human absence and modified some of the remains left by the Neanderthals. Together, this information indicates that Prado Vargas is a key site to understand the dynamics of the Neanderthals in the linking area between the Castillan Plateau and the Cantabrian Range.

Diet in the Early Bronze Age: a buccal microwear analysis from the plain of Barcelona (Spain)

This study aims to characterize the dietary habits of the Barcelona plain (Spain) population during the Early Bronze Age. An analysis of buccal microwear has been performed on 467 samples from 20 individuals buried in the largest cemetery of the plain of Barcelona in this period, the Plaça de la Gardunya, and 1 sample from the site of the Mercat de Santa Caterina. Molars and premolars were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and their microwear patterns were compared with reference patterns associated with known dietary habits and subsistence strategies. The results suggest that dietary habits differed between age groups and between sexes: males were more carnivorous than females, and subadults ate harder foods than adults. Buccal microwear from the Barcelona plain shows similar values to carnivorous diets of anthropological populations. Based on all the archaeological evidence (building types and zooarchaeology, archaeobotany and stone tools) from this settlement and those in its vicinity, we propose that the individuals from the Barcelona plain had a mixed diet, with large consumption of meat, secondary products and fish. Agricultural products, stored in silos and grill structures and processed with more sophisticated grinding techniques, were also consumed, mainly by subadult individuals.

DIETARY TRAITS OF LATE MIOCENE HIPPARIONS FROM MARAGHEH REVEALED THROUGH DENTAL WEAR

This study investigates the palaeoecology of fossil perissodactyls (equids) from the late Miocene of Maragheh, northwestern Iran. We used dental micro- and mesowear techniques to draw robust inferences about fossil equid paleoenvironment. Mesowear and microwear analyses were applied to the upper molars of three species of hipparionine horses. For this purpose, we investigated samples from three fossiliferous localities: Rohanion, Azim, and Cizdahaban. Six fossil specimens were analyzed for enamel meso- and microwear and results were compared to an extensive database of extant ungulates. Results indicated overlap of the Maragheh hipparions with the dietary signal of extant grazers and grass-dominated mixed feeders. This is consistent with the supposed vegetational habitat proposed by previous mesowear studies. The different species of hipparions from Maragheh had similar diets and were consuming a mixture of plants but with a preference for grasses. These results are consistent with paleoenvironmental reconstructions of the late Miocene dominated by open grassland areas among more wooded settings.

Paleoamerican exploitation of extinct megafauna revealed through immunological blood residue and microwear analysis, North and South Carolina, USA

Previous immunological studies in the eastern USA have failed to establish a direct connection between Paleoamericans and extinct megafauna species. The lack of physical evidence for the presence of extinct megafauna begs the question, did early Paleoamericans regularly hunt or scavenge these animals, or were some megafauna already extinct? In this study of 120 Paleoamerican stone tools from across North and South Carolina, we investigate this question using crossover immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP). We find immunological support for the exploitation of extant and extinct megafauna, including Proboscidea, Equidae, and Bovidae (possibly Bison antiquus), on Clovis points and scrapers, as well as possible early Paleoamerican Haw River points. Post-Clovis points tested positive for Equidae and Bovidae but not Proboscidea. Microwear results are consistent with projectile usage, butchery, fresh- and dry hide scraping, the use of ochre-coated dry hides for hafting, and dry hide sheath wear. This study represents the first direct evidence of the exploitation of extinct megafauna by Clovis and other Paleoamerican cultures in the Carolinas and more broadly, across the eastern United States, where there is generally poor to non-existent faunal preservation. Future CIEP analysis of stone tools may provide evidence on the timing and demography of megafaunal collapse leading to eventual extinction.

Masticatory mechanisms, dental function, and diet in Triassic trilophosaurids (Reptilia: Allokotosauria)

Documenting evidence of feeding behavior in extinct vertebrates is crucial to understanding trophic structure and stability of ecosystems over periods of Earth's history. Direct evidence of trophic interactions in the fossil record is rare, but proxies like dental microwear enable testable hypotheses of feeding behavior in extinct taxa. Here we present new evidence on the masticatory apparatuses and feeding behaviors of Late Triassic (Norian) trilophosaurid reptiles from southwestern North America based on Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observation and quantitative analysis of dental microwear in isolated teeth and dentigerous elements. Trilophosaurids are a Late Triassic archosauromorph group known from Europe and North America with distinctive labiolingually expanded teeth that are usually tricuspid; this clade is hypothesized to be herbivorous based on qualitative comparisons of their dentition to those of living taxa. Our study is among the first to infer their diet within a quantitative comparative framework. Analysis of pit-to-scratch ratios (a proxy for the hardness/toughness of dietary intake) indicate dietary disparity between the three examined trilophosaurid taxa, possibly driven by differing plant preferences. Analysis of scratch orientations, caused by contact between opposite teeth during jaw closure (a proxy for the direction of masticatory movements), may suggest derivation of a masticatory mechanism including labiolingual movement in Trilophosaurus, differing from the orthal jaw closure mechanism ancestral to archosauromorphs that is likely conserved in the sister group to Trilophosauridae, the Azendohsauridae. Variance in dental microwear patterns between the sampled taxa suggests potential herbivore niche space partitioning amongst North American trilophosaurids during the Norian. Furthermore, microwear evidence for complex masticatory movement in trilophosaurids may suggest previously unknown craniomandibular specializations, highlighting the need for reexamination of trilophosaurid craniomandibular morphology and jaw closure mechanics.

From Typology and Biography to Multiplicity: Bracers as ‘Process Objects’

In this article we put forward an alternative account of the famous wristguards, or bracers, of the European Early Bronze Age. Combining new materialism with empirical microwear analysis, we study 15 examples from Britain in detail and suggest a different way of conceptualizing these objects. Rather than demanding they have a singular function, we treat these objects as ‘multiplicities’ and as always in process. This, in turn, has significant implications for the important archaeological concepts of typology and object biography and our understandings of material culture more widely.

Towards a better knowledge of the molar morphology and ecology of extant and fossil grass rats (Muridae:ArvicanthisLesson, 1842)

AbstractAfrican rodents of the genusArvicanthisare presently restricted to sub-Saharan savannas and to the Nile Valley. In contrast, their distribution during the Quaternary included most of northern Africa, leading to the emergence of local fossil species. To date, there have been no comprehensive studies ofArvicanthispopulations in northern Africa, neither to clarify their taxonomy nor their paleoecology. The present study aims to explore both morphology and diet of modern and fossilArvicanthisspecies using geometric morphometric and dental microwear analyses on first upper molars. The geometric morphometric analysis efficiently discriminates the studied extant and fossilArvicanthisspecies and allowed for the identification of probable geographical variations within theA.niloticusgroup. Although all extant species of the genusArvicanthisare predominantly grass-eaters, microwear analyses also highlighted diet differences in various modern populations ofA.niloticus, as well as paleodiet inferences in theA.arambourgifossil species, but no clear link between molar size or shape and diet can be established. This work helps set the stage for a complete revision of the fossil remains ofArvicanthisfrom northern African Quaternary deposits, and for a better understanding of the geographical and temporal morphological variability of this genus in Africa.

Multiproxy approach to reconstruct fossil primate feeding behavior: Case study for macaque from the Plio-Pleistocene site Guefaït-4.2 (eastern Morocco)

The genus Macaca belongs to Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys), Cercopithecinae, Papionini. The presence of Macaca in North Africa is well known from the Late Miocene to the Late Pleistocene. However, the diet of fossil Macaca has been poorly described in the literature. In this study, we investigated the feeding habits of Macaca cf. sylvanus (n = 4) from the Plio-Pleistocene site Guefaït-4.2 in eastern Morocco through multiproxy analysis combining analyses of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes from tooth enamel, buccal microtexture, and low-magnification occlusal dental microwear. For both microwear analyses, we compared the macaques with a new reference collection of extant members of Cercopithecoidea. Our occlusal microwear results show for the fossil macaque a pattern similar to the extant Cercocebus atys and Lophocebus albigena, African forest-dwelling species that are characterized by a durophagous diet based mainly on hard fruit and seed intake. Buccal microtexture results also suggest the consumption of some grasses and the exploitation of more open habitats, similar to that observed in Theropithecus gelada. The δ13C of M. cf. sylvanus indicates a C3 based-diet without the presence of C4 plants typical of the savanna grassland in eastern Africa during this period. The high δ18O values of M. cf. sylvanus, compared with the contemporary ungulates recovered from Guefaït-4.2, could be associated with the consumption of a different resource by the primate such as leaves or fresh fruits from the upper part of trees. The complementarity of these methods allows for a dietary reconstruction covering a large part of the individual’s life.

Ornament, Weapon, or Tool? Microwear Analysis of Shark Teeth from the Rio Do Meio Site in Florianópolis, Brazil

AbstractShark remains are common in coastal archaeological sites in southern Brazil. Here we present an analysis of microwear visible on shark teeth found at the Rio do Meio site in Florianópolis, Brazil. It demonstrates that hafted shark teeth were used to work soft materials such as leather, as well as semihard materials such as wood and bone, whereas others probably functioned as arrowheads. The results also show a possible preference for tiger shark teeth use for woodworking. The identified technical motions include piercing, cutting, and scraping, as well as scaling and sawing. These findings allow us to question the common interpretation of shark teeth use as ornaments and as having symbolic value. Instead, shark teeth seem to have been used as tools and weapons in daily life.

Browsing into a Panamanian tropical rainforest: micro- and mesowear study of Central American red brocket deer

The Mazama genus is one of the more diverse genera among deer (Cervidae); its classification is controversial because of its complex phylogenetic relationships. The Central American red brocket deer (Mazama temama) is distributed from Central America to the northwest of South America. Studying the diet of mammals gives us information about the environment in which they live, considering that animals select food according to the resources available in the surrounding environment. Mesowear and microwear provide complementary data because they present direct evidence of feeding behaviour on different time scales. The use of extant animals as control samples or baselines allows for the interpretation of the results of a study performed using the archaeological record. For this reason, the aim of this paper was to study the diet of extant M. temama from Darien and to compare it with our previous results on ancient deer from Pedro Gonzalez Island archaeological site (6060–5620 cal yr BP) and extant individuals from San Jose Island (Panama). Evidence from the meso- and microwear analyses of M. temama from Darien suggests that they were browse-dominated mixed feeders during the last years of their lives and during the days before their death. There was no evidence of seasonal variation in their diets and between sexes. This paper exemplifies the potential of studying extant materials housed in museum collections as a reference to compare them to archaeological remains. The use of the same methods allows to construct baselines to better understand the archaeological record in the Neotropics.Graphical

Lithic miniaturization and hafted tools in early Late Pleistocene Salawusu, North China

Since its discovery in the 1920s, Salawusu (Sjara-osso-gol), located on the southern edge of the Mongolian Plateau, has been one of the most important Paleolithic findings in East Asia. Unfortunately, because of the miniaturized sizes of the Salawusu artifacts that have traditionally been considered too small to study, little has been known about the lithic technology and tool making skills of these hominins. Here we reexamined the lithic assemblage from the Fanjiagouwan Locality at Salawusu, that has been tentatively dated by Optically Stimulated Luminescence to between 100 ka and 90 ka, to identify hominin activities during Marine Isotope Stage 5 that appear to be specific to this spatial–temporal facie. We analyzed the artifacts at higher magnification and 3D scans to overcome the difficulties of “reading” the reduction traces left on these miniature sized lithics. We also conducted a microwear analysis in addition to a standard techno-typological study. It is quite evident that advanced reduction techniques were applied in the reduction of the miniaturized lithics, and evidence of hafting and composite tools are present as well. These latter observations reveal important features of the Salawusu lithic assemblage. These hominin behaviors are likely directly related to raw material constraints in the region that forced these hominins to get as much as possible out of these small cores. It is possible this technology originated in the Salawusu area and then later spread across northern China, Korea, and Japan during the Late Pleistocene. Given the age of the Fanjiagouwan deposits, it is unclear, at this time, exactly who these stone knappers were.

North American Clovis Point Form and Performance IV: An Experimental Assessment of Knife Edge Effectiveness and Wear

ABSTRACT This study is an assessment of Clovis knife edge effectiveness and wear. This work is the fourth contribution in a series of experiments aimed at shedding light on the functional performance of distinct Clovis “point” forms. Here, we used both edges from 14 replica Clovis point forms in a wood slicing task: the first seven forms represent the average and extremes of observed Clovis points; the second seven represent length-standardized versions. Correlations of point form and cutting efficiency suggest that beyond the largest Clovis point form from the Simon cache, Clovis point plan-view form does not influence edge effectiveness. And a blind qualitative microwear analysis suggests that Clovis point form does not appear to effect edge wear. Unlike our previously reported experiments, the results presented here are predominately inconsistent with the hypothesis that selection of functional attributes contributed to Clovis point variability and evolution across North America.

Butchering knives and hafting at the Late Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet (NMO), Israel

Much of what is known about human behavior and subsistence strategies in the Levantine Middle Paleolithic comes from long sequences from caves and rock shelters. In this context, studies of stone tool function have traditionally focused on determining the use of Levallois points and triangular elements, either as projectiles or, more rarely, multipurpose knives. Little is known about such tool use and hafting in Middle Paleolithic open-air sites in the Levant through the systematic application of micro-wear analysis. Here we report the results of a low and high-power study performed on the lithic assemblage of the Late Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet (NMO, Israel). Most pointed items, including Levallois and non-Levallois points, were used as butchering knives, many of them while hafted; to a much lesser extent they were also used for hide, bone, and wood/plant processing activities. Blades and flakes were mostly handheld and used as butchering knives, with hide, bone, antler, and wood/plant-processing tasks being rare. Hafted artifacts include morphologies and activities for which hafting is not required, indicating that NMO inhabitants possessed varied hafting expertise. Wood/plant processing tools, some of which were hafted, attest that manufacture and maintenance tasks were planned well in advance of game procurement at the site. These results attest to early evidence of hafted butchering knives and hafted plant processing tools for a Late Middle Paleolithic open-air site in the Levant, and support previous interpretations of NMO as a short-term task-specific location focused on animal processing activities, mostly butchery.

Hogs, hippos or bears? Paleodiet of European Oligocene anthracotheres and entelodonts

Anthracotheres and entelodonts are large mammals with peculiar morphological characteristics that combine plesiomorphic and derived features. The unusual anatomy of anthracotheres shows a morphological resemblance to pigs and hippos and their bunoselenodont low-crowned molars have been interpreted as an adaptation to frugivorous/folivorous diets. Entelodonts share cranial and dental similarities to pigs and carnivores, and this has been interpreted as an adaption to opportunistic omnivore diets, hunting/scavenging, or bone-crushing (cf. hyenas). The objective of the present study is to use dental microwear analysis to test these assumptions and to infer the diet of anthracotheres and entelodonts. Dental microwear was quantified on the upper and lower molars using a stereomicroscope. To assess the dietary traits of the fossil samples, the results were compared to a dataset of extant large mammals covering ten dietary categories. The microwear features indicate different diets for Anthracotherium sp. and Entelodon magnus. Our sample of entelodonts shows an omnivorous diet similar to that of the wild boar, and it probably varied considerably between seasons. The anthracotheres we analysed were opportunistic browsing, frugivore, and grazing herbivores. During the Oligocene, these two taxa occupied ecological niches characterised by a large diversity of food resources. The results of the study offer further insights into the characteristics of the digestive system in fossil artiodactyls. The large dataset used in this research opens new perspectives for the dietary reconstruction of poorly known mammal taxa by considering a wide range of diets.

Materials in movement: gold and stone in process in the Upton Lovell G2a burial

Excavated over two centuries ago, the Upton Lovell G2a ‘Wessex Culture’ burial has held a prominent place in research on Bronze Age Britain. In particular, was it the grave of a ‘shaman’ or a metalworker? We take a new approach to the grave goods, employing microwear analysis and scanning electron microscopy to map a history of interactions between people and materials, identifying evidence for the presence of Bronze Age gold on five artefacts, four for the first time. Advancing a new materialist approach, we identify a goldworking toolkit, linking gold, stone and copper objects within a chaîne opératoire, concluding that modern categorisations of these materials miss much of their complexity.

Tooth chipping patterns in Archaeolemur provide insight into diet and behavior.

Archaeolemur is a recently extinct genus of lemur that is often compared to some Cercopithecidae, especially baboons. This is due in part to their derived dentition, with large anterior teeth and reduced bilophodont molars. Research involving comparative morphology, analysis of coprolites, isotopes, and enamel structure, have suggested Archaeolemur had an omnivorous diet involving mechanically challenging items. Yet, microwear analysis of posterior teeth does not necessarily support this conclusion. In this macroscopic study, dental chipping was recorded on permanent teeth of Archaeolemur from different localities (53 individuals; 447 permanent teeth; including both A. edwardsi and A. majori specimens). This study aimed to compare chipping patterns across the dentition of Archaeolemur with chipping in other primates. The results show enamel chipping was prevalent on the anterior teeth of Archaeolemur (38.9% of anterior teeth showed at least one fracture) yet rare in posterior teeth (9%). There was a decrease in chipping frequency across the dentition, moving distally from incisors (50%; 20/40), through caniniform teeth (30%; 15/50), premolars (9.5%; 16/169), and molars (8.5%; 16/188). The results support previous research suggesting Archaeolemur had a varied omnivorous diet in which the anterior dentition was used for extensive food processing. This likely included mechanically challenging items such as tough/hard large fruits, small vertebrates, and crustaceans. Such a high rate of chipping in the anterior dentition is uncommon in other primates, with exception of hominins.

The Late Migration Period Cemetery at Drnholec (Břeclav District, Czech Republic) / Pohřebiště z konce doby stěhování národů z Drnholce (okres Břeclav, ČR)

The authors present part of a burial ground of the Late Migration Period in Drnholec - Pod sýpkou (Břeclav district, Czech Republic), where seven graves were discovered in 2016 and 2017. The grave goods were identified, by typological analysis, as Langobardian/Lombardian. The authors argue that even a small part of a cemetery with a limited number of graves can bring important new data and open strategic questions, challenging traditional interpretations. The paper aims to present the results of excavation in the light of archaeological, anthropological and zooarchaeological perspectives. Archaeological part is focused on presenting the grave units and the cemetery as a contextual unit. Stylistic and typological analysis of grave goods, radiocarbon dates and probability modeling were used to establish the chronology of the cemetery. Anthropological and palaeopathological examinations were accompanied with buccal dental microwear analysis and tooth cementum annulation (TCA) which provide information about diet and age-at-death estimation. Zooarchaeological analysis was mainly driven by the find of a mule skeleton. In addition to skeletal expertise, Nitrogen and Carbon stable isotopes analyses were also applied. The authors set out their thoughts, based on material and bibliographical study, on the problem of classifying and understanding the cultural and ethnic identity of the Migration Period populations.