Arctic Medical Research, Vol. 4 7: Suppl. 1, pp. 213- 217, 1988

AFFINITIES BETWEEN THE 11TH CENTURY VIVALLEN/JAMTLAND AND NORDIC AND SAAMI GROUPS BASED ON TOOTH SIZE AND MORPHOLOGY

V. Alexandersen

Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract. A study was made of teeth from 15 graves found at Vivallen in NW Har­ jedalen/Jamtland, dating from the 11th century. The Vivallen group was compared with Norwegian Lapps from Neiden, Angsnes, Alta and Kautokeino(17th to 19th cent.) and with medieval Scandinavians from Mid-Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The tooth crown size in Vivallen was more similar to modern Swedes and Skolt Lapps than to agrarian medieval Scandinavians and Saamis from the 17th to the 19th century. Morphological dental variation showed the Vivallen group to hold an inter­ mediate position between the North Norwegians and the Southern Scandinavians. A distance statistic (Mean Measure of Divergence) based on 5 dental traits showed the Saami to be different from medieval Scandinavians. The Vivallen group was different from the combined Saami group and similar to the medieval Scandinavians. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that Scandinavians who had adopted a Saami lifestyle and mixed with Saamis lived in Jamtfand at the end of the Viking Period and the beginning of the Middle Ages.

Arctic Medical Research, vol. 47: suppl. 1, pp. 213-217, 1988.

Were there Saami in Mid-Sweden, in Harjedalen and In contrast to this concept, Inger Zachrisson con­ Jamtland, during the Viking Period and the Early siders all the graves at Vivallen to be Saami by reason Middle Ages? of their situation in the hunting grounds, the typical The answer to this question is searched for in ar­ Saami area in the older settlement found at Vivallen chaeological finds, in linguistic studies and in the an­ (Cl4 dating: ca. 900 and ca. 1036 A. D., both calibrat­ thropological study of skeletal remains from graves in ed), the burial custom with the bodies wrapped in this geographical area. birch bark 'sheaths' and in the combination of grave The Swedish participants in the Norwegian-Swed­ goods and the way in which some of the artefacts ap­ ish South Saami project-Ors. Inger Zachrisson and peared to have been used. Elisabeth lregren-kindly invited me to examine the dental material found at Vivallen in North-Western MATERIAL AND METHODS Harjedalen, where Gustaf Hallstrom excavated 20 skeleton graves in 1913 (1). The graves were dated to the The teeth from Vivallen were relatively well preserved in con­ trast to the rest of the skeletons. The teeth belonged to 8 men latter part of the 11th century on the basis of grave and women and to 7 children (5). The Vivallen group was goods (2). Last year one more individual was excavated compared with samples from a number of other populations. by Inger Zachrisson and co-workers from a grave At the Anatomical Institute in Oslo I examined dental mor­ located near the original grave field (3). phology in skulls from Neiden, Angsnes, Kautokeino and Alta. The samples of young individuals varying in number Hallstrom considered the individuals from Vivallen from 22 to 47 from the different localities were combined to to represent a colony of Swedes with trade as their form a group of North Norwegians consisting mostly of reason for residence in the area. Swedish and Nordic Norwegian Lapps, Skolt Lapps and possibly some Nordic artefacts were found. Odner recently expressed the Norwegians and Finns. The collection of skulls dates from view that the grave fields like Vivallen possibly the 17th to the beginning of the 19th century (6,7). In Oslo I also had the opportunity to examine tooth mor­ represented people of Germanic ethnic aff"iliation, phology in skulls from Heidal and Mrere (n= 38), dating from families with roots in farming communities who settl­ the Late Middle Ages as far as Heidal is concerned but in­ ed in the 'backwoods' as hunters (4). cluding from Mrelf an unknown number of individuals from

Cilr:umpolar Health 87 214 Anthropology and morphology the 17th and 18th centuries (8,9). In order to form a larger 3. Upper third molar. Congenital absence was scored. medieval Nordic group, I studied a group of 20 skulls from Roentgenography confirmation was not made but Westerhus/Jamtland at the Osteological Research Labora­ care was taken to avoid scoring this trait in children and tory in Solna and a Danish population from Risby/Sjrelland, older individuals with ante mortem loss of several kept at the Anthropological Laboratory in Copenhagen. molars. Finally, data on tooth dimensions and other dental charac­ 4. Lower first molar. Reduction of the cusp number to 4 teristics used for comparative purposes were found in the cusps was scored as affected. literature on Saami and Nordic teeth (10-16). 5. Lower second molar. Increase in cusp number from the The largest mesio-distal and facio-lingual crown diameters common 4 cusps to 5 was scored as affected. of the permanent teeth were measured according to methods 6. Lower first molar. Presence of an interstitial cusp, c6, suggested by Selmer-Olsen (15). Unworn and slightly worn distally on the occlusal surface was recorded. teeth from one side of a jaw were measured. Data from both 7. Lower second premolar. The presence of two lingual sexes were combined to increase the sample size. Com­ cusps was recorded. parisons with other populations required that the means and The differences between the groups studied were tested trait variances were presented for both sexes combined. by trait by the x2-test for homogeneity and a distance statistic From the Westerhus population only data from juvenile was used in pairwise comparisons between the Vivallen group and adult individuals were used. Since no facio-lingual and the combine North Norwegian sample and the combined diameters were measured by Lysell in the Westerhus material, medieval sample. the results obtained by Sagne from the medieval Lund in The method used was described by Berry (18). The mean Scania were utilized. measure of divergence (MMD) is given by: Th,e differences between the means in various populations were tested by t-tests. MMD= E(tl1-llif-(l/n1 + l/n?) Seven variable dental traits were scored according to N classifications presented by Kirveskari (17). The following traits were studied: where 9=sin·l (l-2p) measured in radians, where pis the observed frequency of the trait, n, =the number of teeth from l. Upper first molar. The Carabelli trait was considered pre­ which that frequency has been calculated, N=nurnber of sent when a protuberance, a small or large cusp was variants used. found mesiolingually on the tooth crown. The variance of this has been taken to be: 2. Upper second molar. Tueth with the cusp number reduc­ ed to 3 cusps were scored as affected. Var.= 2/N1 (E(l/n, + l/n.)2)

Table I. Tooth crown size in the Vivallen group.

Mesio-distal crown diameters Mesia-distal crown diameters Tooth n x sd. Tooth n x sd.

11 3 9.1 11 2 5.0 12 4 7.1 12 3 6.0 c 2 8.1 c 5 6.4 0.33 pl 7 6.9 0.57 PT 6 7.1 0.21 p2 7 6.8 0.39 P2 9 7.1 0.40 MT 8 10.2 0.54 MT 8 10.8 0.63 M2 10 9.4 0.94 M2 7 10.6 0.72 M3 4 7.5 1.75 M3 5 10.1 0.60

One Ma was p~-shaped. Omitting that t oot the mean is 8.5.

Facio-lingual crown diameters Facio-lingual crown diameters Tooth n x sd. Tooth n x sd.

11 2 7.3 ·11 2 5.4 12 3 6.7 12 3 5.8 c 1 8.4 c 5 7.4 0.42 pl 7 8.8 0.46 P1 5 7.6 0.28 p2 7 8.9 0.37 P2 9 8.0 0.57 M1 5 11.3 0.35 M1 7 10.5 0.79 M2 9 11.2 0.71 M2 9 9.9 0.71 M3 3 9.9 M3 5 9.4 0.27

Cin:Jlmpolor HM/th 87 Alexandersen: Tooth size and morphology 215

10

B

Vivall•n - 4

Bkoll: L• ppa ---- VIV•lle n -

Iii! M- D crown di•m•ter Norw. L•ppa 2'1 M-D crown dl•m•ter Weecerhu• ----

Fig. I. Mesio-distal crown size in Vivallen and in modern and Fig. 2. Mesio-distal crown size in Vivallen and in modem and 18th cent. Norwegian Lapps. medieval Swedes.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The teeth from Vivallen are large teeth judging from were larger than the teeth from Westerhus and Lund. their mesio-distal and facio-lingual crown diameters In Fig. 2 the mesio-distal crown diameters for both (Table I, Fig. 1 and 2). In comparison with Saamic sexes combined are shown. In five out of 20 dimen­ groups the teeth from Vivallen are larger than the teeth sions there was a statistically significant difference at from Kistrand, measured by Selmer-Olsen. the 5OJo or 1DJo levels. The mesio-distal crown diameters In 20 dimensions studied by t-tests there were were larger for the upper premolars in Vivallen, for the significant differences in the facio-lingual diameters of lower premolars and the iower second molar. As to M2, in the mesio-distal crown diameters of the first facio-lingual crown diameters the only significant dif­ and second lower premolars at the 50/o and the last ference was found for the upper· second molar. Here mentioned dimension even at the I% level. In com­ the comparison was made between Vivallen and Lund. parison with modem Skolts from Lake Inari, It is worth mentioning that the larger differences oc­ measured by Kirveskari, the few upper anterior teeth curred among the late forming teeth which are more were larger in the Vivallen group but otherwise the likely to be affected by environmental factors than the Vivallen teeth were slightly and insignificantly smaller early forming teeth in the permanent dentition. than the modem teeth. A comparison between the Vivallen teeth and Comparing the Vivallen group with medieval groups modem Swedes showed that the Vivallen teeth were of Nordic ancestry it was found that the Vivallen teeth insignificantly smaller than modern teeth. The mo-

Table II. Incidence of dental variants

No. of individuals scored and per cent affected Medieval Norw. Lapps Vivallen Scandinavians Tooth Character Affected N % N % N %

Upper first molar Cusp of Carab. Small and larger 1 cusp 114 18.4 11 45.5 46 37.0 ·2 1 2 Upper sec. molar Cusp number 3 cusps 89 39.3 13 7.7 64 20.3 • 14 Upper third molar Cong. absence 1 or 2 M 3 absent 122 22.1 9 33.3 143 10.5 · Lower first molar Cusp number 4 cusps 128 8.6 10 10.0 324 3.11,2.3 Lower sec. molar Cusp number 5 cusps 116 29.3 8 12.5 235 11.91.2.3,4 Lower first molar lnterstitiel cusps cusp c 118 7.6 10 0 39 2.61,2 8 12 Lower sec. premolar Cusp number 2 lingual cusps 82 36.6 8 62.5 38 55.2 ·

The Norwegian Lapps -ra represented by samples from Neiden, Kautokeino, Angsnes and Alta. The Scandinavian population was formed by samples from Heida! and Mmre. Norway 1, Risby, Denmark2, Jebelholt, Denmark3• and Westerhus, Sweden4.

Circumpolar Health 87 216 Anthropology and morphology dem teeth belonged to children with unworn teeth, the lower first molar. The Saami groups were similar to while some of the Vivallen teeth were slightly worn, so each other and so were the medieval groups but it is obvious that the Vivallen teeth were of modem Vivallen was different from both the composite groups Swedish size. when tested by X1' tests. The Vivallen group differed It is known that tooth crown size was reduced significantly from Norwegian Lapps in having the among the agrarian Scandinavians in the Middle Ages. Carabelli trait more distinctly developed and fewer The increase to modern size occurred during the last 3-cusped second upper molars. The Vivallen group 100 to 150 years. Part of this fluctuation was due to differed from medieval Scandinavians in the few 3 environmental factors such as improved nutrition, 3-cusped M2, more congenitally absent M , more better hygienic conditions and more effective medical 4-cusped M1 and no interstitial cusp c6• care for the last few generations of Scandinavians. The five dental traits, which differed significantly There is evidence for a similar secular trend among between the Saami and the Nordic people, were used in Skolt Lapps, where the Neiden-Pasvik group, dating a distance statistic to calculate a mean measure of from the 18th century had considerably smaller teeth divergence. The Vivallen group was tested against each than modem Skolt Lapps from the same area (11). of the other groups and the results, shown in Tuble III, Again the change in tooth size over a short time indicate that the Vivallen group was morphologically span is probably attributable to improved living condi­ close to medieval Scandinavians and different from the tions. Norwegian Saami. The large teeth from Vivallen do not tell whether the group was of Nordic or Saami ancestry. They suggest, however, that the living conditions for children in the CONCLUSION hunting grounds were better than in the medieval agrarian communities in Westerhus and Heidal It has been suggested that the individuals found in the (8,12,13). The observation that the teeth most affected Forest Graves (Skogsgravar) such as the ones at were the late forming teeth in the permanent dentition Vivallen, represented Scandinavians who had adopted which are more likely to become affected by en­ the Saami lifestyle living as a hunting people (4). The vironmental factors supports the hypothesis that the evidence presented here is compatible with this living conditions were good for the hunting people. hypothesis that Scandinavians with admixture of The same impression is gained from the fact that only Saami lived in Mid-Sweden during the Viking Period few and mild cases of enamel hypoplasia were found in and in the Early Middle Ages. The Saami gradually the Vivallen group (2/11 or 0.18). Enamel hypoplasia became assimilated by the Nordic population. was much more common in the Westerhus population It is not known, however, what Saami teeth looked where the frequency increased from early to late in the like in Northern Sweden during the Middle Ages. Middle Ages (9). Hybridisation between Saami and Finns would also Seven morphological traits were studied (Tuble II make Saami teeth more like Nordic teeth in shape. In and III). In five of the seven variable traits there were order to examine whether medieval Saami in Northern significant differences between the two composite Sweden had teeth similar to Norwegian Lapps or more groups. The two traits without significant differences like Nordic teeth, new excavations in search of human skeletal material from the Northern part of Sweden are were the cusp number and the interstitial cusp c6 on urgently needed.

Table 111. Mean measures of divergence times 100 based on 5 dental traits ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Med. Norw. I am glad to thank Inger Zachrisson, Statens historiska Vrvallen Sc and. Lapps museum, Stockholm and Elisabeth lregren, Historiska Museet, Lund for allowing me to study the dental material Vivallen -1.70 23.30+ from Vivallen. I also thank Mag. scient. Berit J. Sellevold for Med. Scan

Ci'°'1ftJ10/llr Hftlltlt 87 Alexandersen: Tooth size and morphology 217

REFERENCES 12. Lysell L. Qualitative and quantitative determination of 1. Hallstrom G. Gravfliltet pa Vivallen i Funasdalen. Heim­ attrition and the ensuing tooth migration. Acta Odont bygdas Tidsskrift Fomvardaren 1944; 8: 305-44. Scand 1958; 16: 267-92 2. Zachrisson I. Saami or Nordic? A model for ethnic deter­ 13. Sagne S. The jaws and teeth of a medieval population in mination of Northern Swedish archaeological material Southern Sweden. An anthropological study of a skull from the Viking Period and the Early Middle Ages. Ar· material with special reference to attrition, size of jaws chaeology and Environment 1985; 4: 187-195. and teeth, and third-molar impaction. OSSA 1976; 3: 3. Zachrisson I. Samer i syd. Popular Arkeologi 1987; 5: Suppl. 1. 4-9. 14. Seipel CM. Variation of tooth position. Sv llmdl Tidsskr 4. Odner K. Saamis (Lapps), Finns and Scandinavians in 1946; 39: Suppl. History and Prehistory. Norw Arch Rev 1985; 18: 1-35. 15. Selmer-Olsen R. An odontometrical study on the 5. Alexandersen V. Odontologisk undersegelse af skelet­ Norwegian Lapps. Skr. Norske Vidensk Akad Oslo I. materiale fra gravfeltet pa Vivallen i Funasdalen. Sor­ Mat-Naturv Kl No 3, 1949. samiske projektet rapport nr. 5, 1986; 1-70, MS un­ 16. Swlirdstedt T. Odontological aspects of a medieval published. population in the Province of Jiirntland/Mid-Sweden. 6. Schreiner KE. Zur Osteologie der Lappen. Inst. sam­ Thesis, Stockholm 1966; menlign. Kulturforskn. Serie B. Skrifter XVIII I Oslo, 17. Kirveskari P. Morphological traits in the permanent den­ 1935. tition of living Skolt Lapps. Thesis, Turku 1974; 1-90. 7. Turgersen J. Northern Norway as a marginal area in the 18. Berry AC. The anthropological value of minor variants racial history of Europe. Homo 1972; 23: 237-44. of the dental crown. Am J Phys Anthrop 1976; 45: 8. Hasund AP. Okklusjon of facialkranium i mid· 257-68. delalderbefolkningen i Oslo og Heida!. Thesis, Bergen 1966; 1-215. 9. Sjevold T. Anthropological relations within the Scan­ dinavian peninsula during medieval times and the Verner Alexandersen following centuries. Coll Anthrpol 1978; 2: 132-47. Laboratory of Biiological Anthropology 10. Gejvall NG. Westerhus Medieval population and church University of Copenhagen in the light of skeletal remains. Lund: Ohlsson, 1960. Panum Institule 11. Kirveskari P, Hansson H, HedegArd B and Karlsson U. BlegdarnsveJ 3, Crown size and hypodontia in the permanent dentition DK-2200 Copenhagen N of modem Skolt Lapps. Am J Phys Anthrop 1978; 48: Denmark 107-12.