[Aztlan] Regarding Mike Ruggeri's Post About Teeth

[D. M. Urquidi]

Kim and all:
   
  Since animals usually have a wider tooth base due to their size and tearing ability, it is very unlikely that the use of these teeth were for people who were alive. It would make a great "miracle" show however, to view the skull later (dried out) to show that the animal associated with this person imerged after his/her death.
   
  Except for actual implants for obvious cavities, the filing of teeth (decoratively at the bottoms) would logically be after death when the skull no longer has saliva in the mouth. Once the outer enamel is breeched there is very little to stop cavities from taking hold, since saliva and food particles would be a detriment for a live person. . . . .  i.e. the betel leaves used in the islands are narcotic and would prevent the pain that goes with cavities.
   
  Dea

kim Goldsmith <kiminmexico at yahoo.com> wrote:
  Hi All! The article about the teeth that were filed
down so as to accomodate what would have essentially
been an "animal denture" (unless I read it
incorrectly) was interesting, but I am wondering if
they actually found some animal teeth near the
person's mouth area?

The article states that this practice is common in
later times with some Maya, but I don't ever remember
hearing something like that. This particular article
refers to a find in Michoacan, which is out of my
field of specialty (I work at Teotihuacan). Can
anybody give me some references about this type of
thing being in a strong enough context to "prove" (and
of course, I use that term lightly in conjunction with
archaeology) it truly happened somewhere?

The idea is interesting and certainly not out of the
question, but I simply don't remember ever hearing
anything like that.

Thanks for indulging me,

Kim Goldsmith

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D. M. Urquidi
dmu Ink
P.O. Box 49485
Austin, Texas 78765-49485
                  http://www.mayalords.org                   
               http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ancientamericas/               
 



 				
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