Investigating Dental Disease at the Archaeological Site of Kuelap in Chachapoyas, Peru
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University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2016 Patterns in Dental Health: Investigating Dental Disease at the Archaeological Site of Kuelap in Chachapoyas, Peru Vu Tran University of Central Florida Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Tran, Vu, "Patterns in Dental Health: Investigating Dental Disease at the Archaeological Site of Kuelap in Chachapoyas, Peru" (2016). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 4980. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4980 PATTERNS IN DENTAL HEALTH AND DISEASE AT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF KUELAP IN CHACHAPOYAS, PERU by VU TRAN B.A. University of Central Florida, 2014 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Sciences at University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2016 Major Professor: J. Marla Toyne © 2016 Vu Tran ii ABSTRACT Social organization influences individual well-being and overall community health, which may lead to health disparities that manifest in teeth. The research in this thesis explores social variability by analyzing patterns in dental disease at the archaeological site of Kuelap in Chachapoyas, Peru. The ancient Chachapoya (AD 900-1535) were a complex society but the nature of that complexity is not well understood based on traditional archaeological correlates. Since burials at Kuelap lack grave goods that are often used to discriminate variation in social status or identity, bioarchaeological dental proxies were tested. The dental remains of 106 individuals (7 subadults, 54 adult males, and 46 adult females) from five different types of mortuary contexts were analyzed using a two stage methodological approach. Three pathological indicators (caries, antemortem tooth loss, and calculus) were examined to explore cultural influences of diet and the external environment on human biology. While no significant differences exist in any of the conditions among individuals from five diverse mortuary contexts, there were statistically significant differences between males and females. These results indicate that there was a lack of explicit health disparities and hierarchical ranking (social inequality) at Kuelap. Instead, bioarchaeological analysis suggests that there is social variability with gendered differences in oral health. This thesis presents the first analysis of dental pathology from Kuelap and furthers knowledge of ancient dental health patterns and social variability in both the Chachapoya and larger Andean region. Overall, this research broadens anthropological understanding of the interconnectedness among health, social variability and complexity in ancient societies. iii To the place high in the clouds. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to thank my advisor, Dr. J. Marla Toyne, for always motivating me to do my best and then some. I cannot express enough gratitude for everything that she has done to help me succeed throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies. I could not have accomplished so much without her giving me the right tools and opportunities. Next, I have to thank my committee members, Dr. Tosha Dupras and Dr. John Schultz, for their encouragement and help. Thank you as well to my mentors for their endless advice and honesty. Next, I must thank the Dirección Desconcentrada de Cultura de Amazonas in Chachapoyas, Peru for allowing me to conduct my research and Armando Anzellini for all his help in gathering and setting up the materials for my analysis. Also, thank you to the UCF Department of Anthropology and Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program. Lastly, I truly appreciate all the support from my true friends and family. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. ix LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................1 Purpose of Research ................................................................................................................2 Theoretical Approach ..............................................................................................................3 Social Variability and Gender Inequality .............................................................................3 Mortuary Analysis ...............................................................................................................3 Methodology ...........................................................................................................................4 Bioarchaeological Analysis of Dental Health .......................................................................4 Research Goals, Questions, and Hypotheses ............................................................................5 Chapter Summary and Outline of Subsequent Chapters ...........................................................6 CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL AND BIOARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND RESEARCH ...............................................................................................................................7 Theorizing Social Complexity and Gender ..............................................................................7 Social Variability: Hierarchy and Heterarchy .......................................................................9 Gender Diversity ............................................................................................................... 12 Operationalizing of Disease and Health ................................................................................. 13 Health Differences and Disparities .................................................................................... 15 Social Inequality in the Past .................................................................................................. 18 Skeletal Analysis ............................................................................................................... 18 Dental Bioarchaeological Studies ...................................................................................... 19 Mortuary Analysis ............................................................................................................. 20 Overview of the Chachapoya Civilization.............................................................................. 23 Social Structure ................................................................................................................. 26 Diet, Chicha, and Coca Chewing Habits ............................................................................ 27 The Archaeological Site of Kuelap ........................................................................................ 31 Andean Mortuary Practices and Mortuary Variability at Kuelap ............................................ 32 Burial Types at Kuelap ...................................................................................................... 33 Chapter Summary.................................................................................................................. 36 CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS .............................................................. 38 Kuelap Selected Sample ........................................................................................................ 38 Methods of Data Collection ................................................................................................... 39 Demographic Categories ................................................................................................... 39 Inventory for Dentition of Each Individual ........................................................................ 40 Dental Wear and Anomalies .............................................................................................. 41 vi Pathological indicators ...................................................................................................... 42 Methods of Analysis.............................................................................................................. 47 Caries and AMTL.............................................................................................................. 48 Calculus ............................................................................................................................ 52 Descriptive Statistics ......................................................................................................... 53 Inferential Statistics ........................................................................................................... 53 Chapter Summary.................................................................................................................. 55 CHAPTER FOUR: THE RESULTS .......................................................................................... 56 Demographic Distribution of Sample ...................................................................................