Cl. Fox et Dw. Frayer, NONDIETARY MARKS IN THE ANTERIOR DENTITION OF THE KRAPINA NEANDERTHALS, International journal of osteoarchaeology, 7(2), 1997, pp. 133-149
A sample of 82 anterior teeth from Krapina (Croatia) was studied using
a light binocular microscope and a scanning electron microscope to do
cument the presence of non-dietary dental scratches. The patterns of d
istribution, location and orientation of these marks suggest two diffe
rent aetiologies: scratches on the labial-occlusal enamel border appea
r to be related to the action of clenching abrasive materials between
teeth, while the scratches primarily in the centre of the labial face
correspond to cutmarks as described by other researchers. These scratc
hes may have been produced when flake tools involved in processing mat
erials held between the anterior teeth came into contact with the labi
al enamel face. Alternatively, they may simply reflect some consistent
operation which pulled hard objects across the labial surfaces of the
anterior teeth. In either case, the marks on the central face of the
labial surface provide evidence far manual dexterity in the Neandertha
ls. Of the seven Krapina individuals which show a predominant pattern,
one shows a pattern of left oblique marks, while six provide evidence
of right-handedness. Coupled with other Neanderthal or Upper Pleistoc
ene individuals with these patterns, right-handedness is the dominant
pattern in 90 per cent of the documented cases. One complicating facto
r in the analysis of these scratches in the Krapina hominids is that m
arks of a similar morphology are found in several anterior teeth of Ur
sus spelaeus from the site. While resembling the marks on the hominid
incisors, the scratches on the bears lack a dominant orientation on th
e labial face and appear to be more variable in their widths. Despite
the occurrence of some similarities in the enamel scratches between ur
sids and hominids at Krapina, the study of anterior dental marks provi
des information about manipulative activities which are unique to anci
ent humans. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.