Dental anthropology investigations of behaviour and society in some historic Arctic/Sub-Arctic samples
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The thesis is a dental anthropological study of Arctic/Sub-Arctic samples utilising oral environmental
\nhealth indicators (caries, calculus, periodontal disease), dental wear, craniofacial trauma (CFT),
\nparamasticatory dental activities (PMDA) and cultural identifiers to analyse labour and dietary divisions,
\nand how teeth were used as tools and cultural identifiers. The study was organised ecogeographically, as the
\nmostly historically collected remains meant temporal distinctions were largely impossible, bar being preEuropean contact. Contextualisation utilised ethnohistoric accounts, published bioarchaeological,
\narchaeological and clinical studies, and a PMDA recording method, developed here. A total of 1540
\nindividuals were analysed from Siberia, the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Arctic/SubArctic populations have been the focus of ethnohistoric, bioarchaeological, and clinical studies, but
\nmisconceptions remain regarding homogeneity. Whilst many cultures extended across the ecogeographic
\nrange of Arctic/Sub-Arctic populations, the divergent ecogeographies should result in distinct diet, labour,
\nPMDA, and cultural identification.
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\nThe oral environmental health indicators show overall, homogenously good oral health but were too
\ninfrequent for dietary divisions assessment. Whilst the wear results were similarly non-distinct for the adults
\nfor labour divisions, they illustrated the age PMDA began (5.5-10.5-years-old) when analysed in conjunction
\nwith the CFT and PMDA results. The younger age (5.5-years-old) coincides with development of adult
\nlevels of coordination and balance, and improved musculature control from changes in motor learning
\nabilities. The same type of PMDA was found to continue into adulthood in one sample (West Greenland).
\nFurther distinct behaviours were found in another sample (Amaknak Island), as wear is absent in subadults,
\nbut extensive wear is present in the adults.
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\nThe analysis also showed two distinct cultural identification configurations – wearing labrets and ablation
\n– with a demographic distribution and restricted to the Aleutian Islands. Ablation has been reported in
\nthese populations, but not accepted by most researchers. The analysis found evidence that females and
\nmales had different extraction methods and placements of ablation. In males, teeth were forcefully removed
\nfrom the socket, with the roots remaining, followed by alveolar bone resorption. The females experienced
\na less traumatic extraction method, as roots remaining is absent. Evidence of wearing labrets inferior to the
\nlabia inferior oris was found. The analysis also found an unreported labret placement, being superior to the
\nlabia superior oris. The females and males have different patterns of wearing labrets, with females wearing
\nlabrets laterally, and the males wearing one medially, both superior to the labia superior oris. The study
\nprovides an immense amount of information on Arctic/Sub-Arctic samples, the homogenous oral health
\nenvironment, and the distinct PMDA and cultural identifiers.

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