Histological Analysis of Dentition in Rockshelter Burials from Two Sites in Central Belize

Abstract

Objectives: Investigations of dental health in the Maya region have frequently focused on individuals buried at urban sites rather than in peripheral or intermediary zones. This study presents a dental analysis of a different type of mortuary sample, those persons buried in two non-elite peripheral rockshelters, in Central Belize using a combined dental micro- and macrodefect approach to interpret health experience.

Materials and Methods: A total of 22 teeth (permanent mandibular canines, and mandibular and maxillary third molars) from the two sites were assessed for dental caries, enamel hypoplasias, and Wilson bands. The maximum and minimum ages of microdefect formation for each tooth was calculated.

Results: Carious lesions were infrequently represented in the sample, while linear enamel hypoplasias were expressed in less than half the sample. Wilson bands, conversely, were present in nearly every tooth indicating that the rockshelter populations experienced more acute stress. Individuals interred at Caves Branch Rockshelter were affected earlier in life based on analysis of mandibular canines.

Conclusion: Non-elites buried in rockshelters in Central Belize had similar dental health experiences when compared with individuals buried at elite centers. At least in terms of oral health, peripheral communities in this area were not adversely affected by their distance from urban core sites