Dental Anthropology

Practical text to the study of humans and close relatives from the evidence of their teeth.

Simon Hillson (Author)

9780521564397, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 September 1996

392 pages, 116 b/w illus. 59 tables
24.6 x 18.8 x 2.5 cm, 0.68 kg

'This book more than fulfils its said mission. The author has introduced a wealth of information served up into a highly digestible format. Whatever the research focus, this book engenders an integrated appreciation for evolution, adaptation, and disease processes. Dental Anthropology is of the superb quality we have come to expect from Cambridge University Press. this is not only a timely book providing an introduction to or reinforcing our foundation, but a volume necessary for all students of dental anthropology, novice or veteran, studying teeth in any context.' International Journal of Osteoarchaelogy

Teeth are one of the best sources of evidence for both identification and studies of demography, biological relationships and health in ancient human communities. This text introduces the complex biology of teeth and provides a practical guide to the: • excavation, cleaning, storage and recording of dental remains • identification of human teeth including those in a worn or fragmentary state • methods for studying variation in tooth morphology • study of microscopic internal and external structure of dental tissues, and methods of age-determination • estimation of age-at-death from dental development, tooth wear and dental histology • recording of dental disease in archaeological and museum collections Dental Anthropology is the text for students and researchers in anthropology and archaeology, together with others interested in dental remains from archaeological sites, museum collections or forensic cases.

1. Introduction to dental anthropology
2. Dental anatomy
3. Variation in size and shape of teeth
4. Occlusion
5. Sequence and timing of dental growth
6. Dental enamel
7. Dentine
8. Dental cement
9. Histological methods of age determination
10. Biochemistry of dental tissues
11. Tooth wear and modification
12. Dental disease
13. Conclusion: current state, challenges and future developments in dental anthropology
Appendix A: Field and laboratory techniques
Appendix B: Microscopy in dental anthropology
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Human biology [PSX], Physical anthropology [JHMP]