PHYTOLITH ANALYSIS ON DENTAL CALCULUS, ENAMEL SURFACE, AND BURIAL SOIL - INFORMATION ABOUT DIET AND PALEOENVIRONMENT

Silica phytoliths (microscopic remains originating in plant tissues) h ave been identified on the enamel surface and dental calculus of a sam ple of teeth selected from well preserved skeletons from a Late Roman necropolis in Tarragona (Spain). Phytoliths were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their siliceous nature was confirmed by X-ray microanalysis. The phytoliths were compared to those of soil sam ples from both the areas of the tombs corresponding to the abdomen and the periphery of the skeletons, and were classified taxonomically by comparison with a large collection of silica particles from modern pla nts in the Mediterranean area. Most of the phytoliths identified on th e enamel and the dental calculus belong to the family of Poaceae, whil e the phytoliths from the abdominal area belong to Poaceae, Leguminosa e, Cyperaceae, and Chenopodiaceae. Results are concordant with archaeo logical, ecological, and historical data from the same site, and with the human Mediterranean diet. If done properly, the study of phytolith s can provide direct information about the vegetable diet of past huma n populations, and could be applied to the study of human fossils. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.