Ooo, real writting.

Oh, look. I wrote something. The first two "edited" pages of my paper are now presented for your viewing pleasure. Right. I say "edited" because I'm still tossing around the idea of changing the race/ancestry section. Hmmm . . . thoughts.

Dental Morphology

Dental morphology is the “study of the form and structure of teeth” (Mayhall 2000:103). In an archaeological setting, the study of dental morphology extends beyond human dentition, and includes the dentition of other animals. When applied to humans, dental morphology can be used to study both living and skeletal samples. The unique composition of teeth mean that they often endure even after other bone matter has decayed, preserving a permanent record of past populations (Mayhall 2000:103). In living populations, dental morphology is often applied in a forensic setting in an attempt to assign an identity to an unknown corpse. A body can be assigned a fairly accurate age estimate based on dental development and wear. A rough assignment of ancestry can be made based on the presence or absence of certain morphological traits.

Race or Ancestry?

It is important to note that the assignment of ancestry is different from the assignment of race. Race is a social construct, for which there is no biological justification. Ideas of “race” differ from culture to culture. An individual identified as “black” in the culture of the modern United States might be identified as “white” in Puerto Rico. A more appropriate approach is to attempt to determine the ancestry of an individual, or the group with which the individual “would have likely been identified in their community” (Ubelaker 2000:55). We want to know the likely descent of the individual we are looking at. If we know that, we can better determine what they may have looked like (necessary to identify a skeleton). Using probable ancestry and forensic and anthropological databases, a worker can determine a height and weight range for a skeleton. Ancestry is also vital information for facial reconstruction. With vital information such as this, an unknown and unidentifiable body or skeleton can be given a name and a history.

Basics of teeth

Although teeth look like bone, they cannot produce red blood cells and are therefore not considered to be bone. Teeth are composed of four types of tissue: enamel, dentin, pulp and cementum (Fig. 1). Enamel is the outer, white layer of the teeth; it is the hardest substance in the human body, allowing the teeth to withstand a lifetime of grinding. Dentin is the second layer. Similar to bone, this yellowish material carries some nerve fibers and forms the bulk of each tooth. The pulp forms the tooth’s soft center. It contains blood, nerves, and lymph vessels. Pulp is the center of nourishment and nerve interaction between tooth and brain. Cementum is a hard, bone-like material that covers the majority of the root of a tooth and helps connect the tooth to its jaw socket. There is also a periodontal ligament, which lies between the cementum and the jawbone, and acts as a shock absorber.