A case study of oral and dental diseases (stomatopathy) in the late medieval period of Thuringia, Central Germany
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16890872Keywords:
Archaeozoology, Central Germany, Dental health , Medieval AgeAbstract
Interpreting dental "health" in archaeologically discovered skeletal assemblages is difficult due to the lack of patient history, unclear pathological processes, broad etiologies, and cultural understanding of hygiene. Analysis of oral pathology is often part of bio-archaeological and paleo-pathological studies. Although accurate, oral health can also provide insights into general or systemic health. This article examines pathological conditions of the oral cavity in the medieval period and evaluates the paleopathological conditions of the oral cavity. This article investigates the relationship between oral health and health in the past by examining the relationship between oral pathology and mortality in a cemetery sample from medieval Germany. The skull was found during excavations at the archaeological department of the Erfurt Monument Conservation Office in the northern Sulze district of the central German state of Thuringia and may date from the 13th to the 14th century. The current study suggests that stomatopathy can be used as an informative indicator of general health in past populations, which examines an individual's oral and dental pathologies from the late Medieval Age. The analysis focused on odontological analysis and some dental parameters such as tooth wear, caries, and periodontitis.
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