![]() At this stage the dentists applied an adhesive to hold the stones in place. After they had bored holes into tooth enamel the final stones to be inlaid were finely-shaped to fit the cavities. Maya dentists spun thin copper tubes in their hands which served as drills, with the abrasive quality coming from powdered quartz mixed in water. 13,000-Year-Old Bitumen Dental Fillings Found in Italy: Earliest Example of Dentistry Known to Date.Waterloo Teeth: Wearing A Dead Man’s Grin.Not only did he die with nearly all his teeth, but there were “no signs of decay.” ![]() Tiesler references Janaab’ Pakal, the Maya king of Palenque, who died in 612 AD at the age of 80. Study co-author, Vera Tiesler, a bioarchaeologist at the Autonomous University of Yucatán said Maya dentists drilled holes into the enamel and dentine “then fit the stones and applied a sealant, usually as part of a rite of passage to adulthood.” The new analysis, according to Tiesler, suggests the sealant applied to secure the tooth jewels in place also had therapeutic oral hygiene properties. (YouTube screenshot / Nutty History ) Marrying Aesthetics With Health Care However, in Maya culture, it seems, this substance was valued for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. In the modern world sclareolide is used to bind perfumes to the skin, and more recently has been used as a weight loss drug. However, two glue samples contained sclareolide from Salvia plants. It is known that pine resin attacks the bacteria that causes plaque and eventual decay on teeth. And the scientists categorized four individual mixtures based on the locations they were prepared. The study research identified 150 organic plant resin molecules, mostly from pine trees, that together acted like a glue. In the new study the professor and her colleagues analyzed sealants taken from eight teeth samples from different sites across the Maya empire.įirst, based on light absorption, the scientists grouped the organic compounds, then, they separated chemical mixtures using intense heat and counted the individual molecules. Gloria Hernández Bolio, a biochemist at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico. And in some cases, front teeth were encrusted with gemstones including “jadeite, iron pyrites, hematite, turquoise, quartz, serpentine and cinnabar,” said Dr. The team wrote that ancient Maya “believed their breath was a link to the divine.” Therefore, to ritualistically purify the mouth, Maya teeth were polished, bored, and notched. ( Journal of Archaeological Science ) Breathing The Word of God The recent study on Maya teeth revealed how plant sealants, mostly made from pine trees, were also part of the teeth jewelry procedures performed by Maya dentists. ![]() It has long been assumed that Maya tooth modification was only carried out for ritual purposes, however, the new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science suggests Maya dental techniques also benefited general oral hygiene. 130,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Teeth Reveal Evidence of Prehistoric Dentistry.Jewel-Capped Teeth and Golden Bridges: 14,000 Years of Dentistry.The Maya are renowned for constructing elaborate ceremonial palaces, temple-pyramids and astronomical observatories, but also for decorating their teeth with colorful rocks. Dominating south-east Mexico and the Central American countries of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador, hundreds of independent farming states managed vast ceremonial cities. ![]() (Emmashavrick / CC BY-SA 4.0 ) Maya Teeth and Tooth Modification Wasn’t Just Ritualistic!Įmerging around 1000 BC, the Maya civilization quickly developed and reached its highest point between 300 and 900 AD. However, the new Maya teeth study shows that if a similar census had been taken in Mexico at the same time “teeth” wouldn't even have been on the list!Īn example of a Maya teeth featuring a gemstone in inlay modification. When England published the London Bills of Mortality in the early 16th century listing the main causes of death, “teeth,” were listed in the top five. A new study conducted by the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City, has revealed that the glues used to bind precious stones to Maya teeth might have had antibacterial properties, boosting their oral health. But maybe these weren’t all just for show. The Maya loved their bling and often decorated their teeth with gemstones. ![]()
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