RITUAL ABLATION OF FRONT TEETH IN MODERN AND RECENT KENYANS

The oral condition of 1274 living people was examined in 3 districts o f Kenya and in 117 Kenyan skulls of recent age from the Natural Histor y Museum, London; Cambridge University; and the Smithsonian Institutio n, Washington D.C. The traits of ritual ablation of mainly mandibular central incisors were observed in 57 cases out of 233 examinees of ove r 10 years of age (24.5%) in Lodwar, 29 of 210 (13.8%) in Kericho, and 3 of 190 (1.6%) in Nairobi, and in 25 mandibles out of 29 skills (86. 2%). Thus, the existence of ritual ablation of the front teeth in mode rn Kenyans was confirmed, but the incidence is lower than in the skele tal group, and much less in urbanized areas than in rural districts. T he size of the remaining space showed a significant correlation with t ooth-to-denture-base discrepancy, but not with the lapse of time since extraction.