A recent study published by Marco Ramírez-Salomón and his colleagues in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports has unveiled groundbreaking findings regarding dental practices among the ancient Maya. The research analyzed the teeth of three children, revealing that they bore jade inlays—a practice predominantly observed in adults within Pre-Hispanic Maya culture. This discovery adds greatly to the record of cultural traditions surrounding dental adornment in this complex ancient civilization.
The teeth analyzed were from children who died probably at ages of 9-10 and 8-9. These are the first and only known examples of dental inlays in preadolescents. Histological and spectroscopic analysis Researchers found the inlays on three teeth: a maxillary central incisor, a mandibibular lateral left incisor, and a maxillary canine. Close up of some native American dentitions displayed at the Prehispanic skeletal collection of the Popol Vuh Museum, University Francisco Marroquin (Guatemala).
Insights into Maya Dental Practices
Dental modification as an aesthetic practice
Like the Pre-Hispanic Maya, modification of teeth for aesthetic purposes was widely practiced during the Classic and Postclassic periods, from AD 250 to AD 1550. These changes involved appengements, chalcography and plumbelling. Prior to this investigation, researchers exclusively recorded jade tooth inlays grown on adults. They sometimes saw these inlays in patients 15-20 years old.
Botanist Dr. Marco Ramírez-Salomón spearheaded the study of these extraordinary specimens. Whether intentional or not, they probably expose a sacred cow, a cultural ritual or tradition. The inlays were perhaps inserted during the children’s lifetimes. This is a different scenario than the well-known example from Pusilha, Belize where a very young child likely received inlays postmortem. This difference opens up new avenues of inquiry as to the meaning and function of these dental alterations among the Maya.
“As we wrote in the paper, the absence of preadolescents sporting any form of inlays is not due to the underrepresentation of such an age category in the bioarchaeological record,” – Dr. Andrea Cucina
These findings indicate that jade tooth inlays were more of a localized practice than a widespread pan-Mayan practice. This complicates earlier ideas of a one-size-fits-all approach to cultural behavior across the vast geographic spread of the ancient Maya civilization.
Significance of the Findings
This research isn’t limited to dental practices. It makes familiar Maya cultural rituals and social structures, illuminating aspects that were previously unknown to provide a fresh perspective on their captivating world. As a result, jade inlays are mostly associated with signs of elite status or ceremonial rites. Yet the difficulty of locating such moments among the children points to a greater cultural significance that should be further explored.
Dr. Andrea Cucina, an author on the study, remarked how unusual it is to find such a thing. She remarked on the intriguing nature of discovering jade inlays in preadolescents, emphasizing that “this is an interesting question: given the fact that so far the archaeological record in Mesoamerica has not reported any preadolescent with inlays (very few young cases start by age 15 years), it makes me think that it might indeed be a regional, localized tradition.”
The report calls into question the social and cultural impacts of these practices, leading to many more questions that need to be answered. Scholars have yet to sufficiently examine the symbolic ramifications of using jade for dental modifications. More importantly, they haven’t dug into what these changes meant culturally.
Challenges and Future Research
Despite the newly uncovered evidence, challenges persist. The teeth studied were loose specimens donated to the Popol Vuh Museum, making their provenance difficult. Dr. Cucina pointed out this limitation when she stated, “Unfortunately, these teeth are loose teeth that were donated to the Museum.” This lack of archaeological context can keep us from a richer understanding.
Regardless, this study opens the door to more investigations of childhood health and social status in ancient Maya society. Scholars may now prioritize exploring other archaeological sites for similar evidence of dental modifications among children to enrich understanding of their cultural practices.