2008/02/20 by Brian Clifton Finucane, Katie Manning, Mouktarde Touré · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Health Professions · Dentistry · Medicine · #Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies #dental development and anomalies #Indigenous Studies and Ecology #Prehistory #Radiocarbon dating #Archaeology #Dentistry #Geography #Maxillary central incisor #Orthodontics #Medicine
paper · doi:10.1002/oa.957
openalex publication_date 2008/02/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Abstract This paper reports the earliest securely dated evidence for intentional dental modification in West Africa. Human remains representing 11 individuals were recovered from the sites of Karkarichikat Nord (KN05) and Karkarichinkat Sud (KS05) in the lower Tilemsi Valley of eastern Mali. The modified anterior maxillary dentitions of four individuals were recovered from KN05. The dental modification involved the removal of the mesial and distal angles of the incisor, as well as the mesial angles of the canines. The modifications did not result from task‐specific wear or trauma, but appear instead to have been produced for aesthetic purposes. All of the filed teeth belonged to probable females, suggesting the possibility of sex‐specific cultural modification. Radiocarbon dates from the site indicate that the remains pertain to the Late Stone Age (ca. 4500–4200 BP). Dental modification has not previously been reported from this region of West Africa and our findings indicate that the practice was more widespread during prehistory. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.