Among the animal-tooth pendants and other jewelry discovered at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey, 3 human teeth that appear to have been drilled have also just been recovered
Among the animal-tooth pendants and other jewelry discovered at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey, three human teeth that appear to have been drilled have also just been recovered. Archaeologists were surprised by the find and set out to determine whether they were made from the living or from the dead.is an archaeological area and UNESCO world heritage site in southern Turkey that was occupied between 7100 and 5500 BC.
Their analysis suggests that the roots of two of the teeth were mechanically created using a cone-shaped microdrill. “The perforation of the human teeth was a task performed by individuals who possessed the required knowledge of technological gestures, material properties, and appropriate tool kits,” the archaeologists write. They also discovered that at least two of the teeth have patterns of wear “suggesting extended use as ornaments.
Finally, their research showed that two teeth have zero evidence of disease that would have contributed to tooth loss during life. “Based on this evidence, it is more likely that these teeth were intentionally extracted,” they conclude. “It appears that these [two] teeth were acquired post-mortem.” Regardless of the origins and frequency of the practice, the ornamental use of human teeth raises questions about the precise meaning to this cultural group. The archaeologists call it “a highly aesthetic and symbolic material choice” and wonder if the teeth were “selected based on the specific identities of the two individuals,” particularly given the fact that the perforated teeth are all permanent adult ones and were taken from older individuals who may have had higher social standing.
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