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Hunter–gatherer dental pathology: Do historic accounts of Aboriginal Australians correspond to the archeological record of dental disease?

Hunter–gatherer dental pathology: Do historic accounts of Aboriginal Australians correspond to... INTRODUCTIONHistorically Australian Aboriginal people are characterized as experiencing severe and rapid dental wear often seen as characteristic of hunter–gatherer populations more generally (Barrett, ; Campbell & Barrett, ). Further work has identified regional differences in the rate and patterning of wear between different groups (Littleton, Scott, McFarlane, & Walshe, ; Molnar, Richards, McKee, & Molnar, ; Richards, ). However, the focus on wear has meant that there has been little analysis of dental pathology either in terms of its relationship to wear or in relation to regional patterning. Yet, it is the complexes of dentoalveolar conditions that are informative of patterns of food consumption, environmental exploitation, and hygiene practices (Lukacs, ).Commonly, it has been assumed that historic studies of Aboriginal people prior to and soon after sustained contact with Europeans are reflective of conditions in prehistory. To what extent is that correct and how much intra‐ and interpopulation variability has been overlooked as a consequence? Most of the historic observations are from arid or northern regions of Australia. Certainly Europeans were struck by the combination of generally very “perfect and beautiful teeth” (Eyre, , p. 205) and the extensive wear of older people (Angas, ; Taplin, ). Systematic observations, http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Journal of Human Biology Wiley

Hunter–gatherer dental pathology: Do historic accounts of Aboriginal Australians correspond to the archeological record of dental disease?

Littleton, Judith
American Journal of Human Biology , Volume 30 (2) – Jan 1, 2018
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References (62)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN
1042-0533
eISSN
1520-6300
DOI
10.1002/ajhb.23076
Publisher site
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Abstract

INTRODUCTIONHistorically Australian Aboriginal people are characterized as experiencing severe and rapid dental wear often seen as characteristic of hunter–gatherer populations more generally (Barrett, ; Campbell & Barrett, ). Further work has identified regional differences in the rate and patterning of wear between different groups (Littleton, Scott, McFarlane, & Walshe, ; Molnar, Richards, McKee, & Molnar, ; Richards, ). However, the focus on wear has meant that there has been little analysis of dental pathology either in terms of its relationship to wear or in relation to regional patterning. Yet, it is the complexes of dentoalveolar conditions that are informative of patterns of food consumption, environmental exploitation, and hygiene practices (Lukacs, ).Commonly, it has been assumed that historic studies of Aboriginal people prior to and soon after sustained contact with Europeans are reflective of conditions in prehistory. To what extent is that correct and how much intra‐ and interpopulation variability has been overlooked as a consequence? Most of the historic observations are from arid or northern regions of Australia. Certainly Europeans were struck by the combination of generally very “perfect and beautiful teeth” (Eyre, , p. 205) and the extensive wear of older people (Angas, ; Taplin, ). Systematic observations,

Journal

American Journal of Human Biology – Wiley

Published: Jan 1, 2018

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