The Tales Teeth Tell: Using Dental Calculus
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE TALES TEETH TELL: USING DENTAL CALCULUS MICROSCOPY FOR ARCHAEOETHNOBOTANY & PALEODIETARY RECONSTRUCTION AT THE LIBBEN SITE IN NORTHWESTERN OHIO. A thesis submitted To Kent State University in partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts By: Andrew G. Kramer February, 2017 © Copyright All rights reserved Except for previously published materials by Andrew Gerald Kramer May 2017 Thesis written by Andrew Gerald Kramer M.A., Kent State University, USA 2017 B.A., Cleveland State University, USA 2012 Approved by Linda B Spurlock Ph.D., Advisor Mary Ann Raghanti Ph.D., Chair, Department of Anthropology James L. Blank Ph.D., Dean, College of Arts and Sciences TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………...…iii LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………..viii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………......xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………...xii CHAPTERS 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..1 Archaeobotanical Analysis in Paleodietary Studies………………………………1 Flotation Testing…………………………………………………………………..2 Pollen & Phytolith Analysis………………………………………………………4 Background on the Libben Site…………………………………………………..5 Site Location………………………………………………………………………5 Libben Demography………………………………………………………………6 Prehistoric Environmental Conditions…………………………………………….8 Pahtology: What is Dental Calculus………………………………………………9 Dental Calculus as an Investigatory Tool………………………………………....9 Dental Calculus at Libben………………………………………………………..12 Purpose of Investigation…………………………………………………………14 2. Methods & Materials………………………………………………………………….16 Sampling Methods……………………………………………………………….16 Cleaning………………………………………………………………………….17 Extraction………………………………………………………………………...17 Dissolving the Calculus………………………………………………………….17 Alternate Pollen Procedure………………………………………………………19 iii Slide Preparation for Microscopy………………………………………………..20 Contamination Control Procedure……………………………………………….20 Libben Slide Preparation…………………………………………………………21 Calculus Microscopy…………………………………………………………….22 Plant Fibers………………………………………………………………………22 Phytoliths………………………………………………………………………...23 Pollen…………………………………………………………………………….23 Starch…………………………………………………………………………….24 Counting Method………………………………………………………………...25 Comparative plant fiber and phytolith database…………………………………26 Plant Sample Preservation……………………………………………………….27 Plant Sample Microscopy Procedure…………………………………………….27 Analysis…………………………………………………………………………..28 3. Results…………………………………………………………………………………29 Dietary and Non-Dietary Plant Species Identified……………………………….29 Black Oak (Quercus velutina)…………………………………………...29 Amaranth (Amaranthus tuberculatus)…………………………………...29 Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)………………………………30 Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)…………………………………….30 Chenopodium (Chenopodium album)……………………………………30 Maize (Zea mays)………………………………………………………...31 False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum)……………………...31 Foxtail Millet (Setaria)…………………………………………………..32 iv Boxelder Maple (Acer negundo)…………………………………………32 May Apple (Podophyllum peltatum……………………………………...33 Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)……………………………………………33 Oxalis (Oxalis stricta)……………………………………………………33 Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis)………………………………………….34 Sumpweed (Iva annua)…………………………………………………..34 Sunflower (Helianthus annus)…………………………………………...34 Wild Grape (Vitis spp.)…………………………………………………..35 Wild Rice (Zizania aquatica)……………………………………………35 Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)………………………………………….36 Shell Bark Hickory (Carya laciniosa)…………………………………...36 Vermillion Pigment………………………………………………………………37 Comparison of Dietary Elements Based on Sex (male vs female)………………38 Comparison of Dietary Elements Based on Age Class (adult vs subadult)……...38 Midden Pit Pollen………………………………………………………………..39 4. Discussion……………………………………………………………………………..40 The Continuum of Cultivation…………………………………………………...41 Libben Resource Niche Construstion……………………………………………43 Timeline of Agriculture & Plant Domestication in the Ohio Region……………45 Late Archaic Cultigen Use (1500-800 BC)……………………………...46 Early Woodland Cultigen Use (800 – 100 BC)………………………….47 Middle Woodland Cultigen Use (100 BC – AD 500)…………………...49 Late Woodland Cultigen Use (AD 500 – 1200)…………………………50 v Late Prehistoric Cultigen Use (AD 1200 – 1650)………………………..53 Dietary Profile of the Libben People…………………………………………….55 Nutritional Availability Profile & Plant Utilization……………………………...55 Black Oak (Quercus velutina)…………………………………………...55 Amaranth (Amaranthus tuberculatus)…………………………………...57 Chenopodium (Chenopodium album)……………………………………58 Maize (Zea mays).......................................................................................58 Foxtail Millet (Setaria)…………………………………………………..60 Boxelder Maple (Acer negundo)…………………………………………60 Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis)…………………………………...61 Sumpweed (Iva annua)…………………………………………………..63 Sunflower (Helianthus annus.)…………………………………………..63 Wild Grape (Vitis spp.)…………………………………………………..64 Wild Rice (Zizania aquatic)……………………………………………..64 Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)………………………………………….65 Shell Bark Hickory Nuts (Carya laciniosa)……………………………...65 Non-dietary & Ritual Elements………………………………………………….66 Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)……………………………...66 Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)…………………………………….66 Oxalis (Oxalis stricta)……………………………………………………67 False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum)……………………...67 May Apple (Podophyllum peltatum)…………………………………….68 Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)……………………………………………68 vi Vermillion Pigment………………………………………………………69 Libben Health Profile…………………………………………………………….70 5. Summary & Conclusion……………………………………………………………….74 Future Research………………………………………………………………….76 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………..79 APPENDIX A……………………………………………………………………………89 APPENDIX B……………………………………………………………………………96 APPENDIX C…………………………………………………………………………..126 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Acorn Fiber Frequency Graphs………………………………………………..97 Figure 2: Acorn Phytolith Frequency Graphs……………………………………………98 Figure 3: Corn/Maize Fiber Frequency Graphs………………………………………….99 Figure 4: Corn/Maize Phytolith Frequency Graphs…………………………………….100 Figure 5: Amaranth Fiber Frequency Graphs…………………………………………..101 Figure 6: Amaranth Phytolith Frequency Graphs………………………………………102 Figure 7: Blue Cohosh Fiber Frequency Graphs……………………………………….103 Figure 8: Blue Cohosh Phytolith Frequency Graphs…………………………………...104 Figure 9: Bracken Fern Fiber Frequency Graphs………………………………………105 Figure 10: Bracken Fern Phytolith Frequency Graphs…………………………………106 Figure 11: Chenopodium Fiber Frequency Graphs…………………………………….107 Figure 12: Chenopodium Phytolith Frequency Graphs………………………………...108 Figure 13: False Solomons Seal Fiber Frequency Graphs……………………………...109 Figure 14: Foxtail Millet Fiber Frequency Graphs……………………………………..110 Figure 15: Boxelder Maple Fiber Frequency Graphs…………………………………..111 Figure 16: Boxelder Maple Phytolith Frequency Graphs………………………………112 Figure 17: May Apple Fiber Frequency Graphs………………………………………..113 Figure 18: Milkweed Fiber Frequency Graphs ………………………………………..114 Figure 19: Oxalis Fibers Frequency Graphs……………………………………………115 Figure 20: Raspberry Fiber Frequency Graphs…………………………………………116 Figure 21: Raspberry Phytolith Frequency Graphs…………………………………….117 Figure 22: Sumpweed Fiber Frequency Graphs………………………………………..118 viii Figure 23: Sumpweed Phytolith Frequency Graphs……………………………………119 Figure 24: Sunflower Phytolith Frequency Graphs…………………………………….120 Figure 25: Wild Grape Fiber Frequency Graphs……………………………………….121 Figure 26: Wild Grape Phytolith Frequency Graphs…………………………………...122 Figure 27: Wild Rice Phytolith Frequency Graphs……………………………………..123 Figure 28: Hackberry Fiber Frequency Graphs………………………………………...124 Figure 29: Hackberry Phytolith Frequency Graphs…………………………………….125 Figure 30: Black Oak Dietary Elements………………………………………………..127 Figure 31: Maize/Corn Dietary Elements………………………………………………127 Figure 32: Amaranth Dietary Elements………………………………………………...128 Figure 33: Blue Cohosh Dietary Elements……………………………………………..128 Figure 34: Bracken Fern Dietary Elements…………………………………………….129 Figure 35: Chenopodium Dietary Elements……………………………………………129 Figure 36: False Solomons Seal Dietary Elements…………………………………….130 Figure 37: Foxtail Millet Dietary Elements…………………………………………….130 Figure 38: Boxelder Maple Dietary Elements………………………………………….131 Figure 39: May Apple Dietary Elements……………………………………………….131 Figure 40: Milkweed Dietary Elements………………………………………………...132 Figure 41: Oxalis Dietary Elements…………………………………………………….132 Figure 42: Raspberry Dietary Elements………………………………………………...133 Figure 43: Sumpweed Dietary Elements……………………………………………….133 Figure 44: Sunflower Dietary Elements………………………………………………..134 Figure 45: Wild Grape Dietary Elements………………………………………………134 ix Figure 46: Wild Rice Dietary Elements………………………………………………...135 Figure 47: Hackberry Dietary Elements………………………………………………..135 Figure 48: Shellbark Hickory Dietary Elements………………………………………..136 Figure 49: Vermillion Pigment…………………………………………………………136 Figure: 50: Parasite Egg………………………………………………………………..137 x LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Available Flora…………………………………………………………………90 Table 2: Libben Faunal Assemblage……………………………………………………..91 Table 3: Libben Avifauna Assemblage…………………………………………………..92 Table 4: Libben Fish Assemblage………………………………………………………..93 Table 5: Summary of Phytolith, Starch & Fiber Presence……………………………….94 Table 6: Pollen Grains Observed from Feature 53………………………………………95 xi Acknowledgements Linda Spurlock: Words are not adequate to express the level of gratitude I have for everything you have done to see this project through. I consider it a privilege and honor to call myself your student, friend, and colleague. I will never