Many of us have had a tooth pulled in the dentist’s chair, under local or general anesthesia, and even with modern medicine, it’s not a pleasant experience. So spare a thought for the people who, for millennia, willingly had their healthy front teeth hammered or pulled – a practice that continued from 4,800 BP until the early 1900s. And all that was above all in the name of beauty.

Fossils recovered from 40 sites in what is now Taiwan have shed new light on the tooth-removing ritual on the island, with well-preserved skulls of men and women showing consistent patterns of missing teeth. Researchers from the Department of Archeology and Natural History at the Australian National University and the University of Guam used their findings, along with historical records, to reveal a more complete story of why and how it came to be. produced for almost five millennia.

“The first and most frequently mentioned motivation was beautification, stemming from the desire to distinguish oneself from the facial features of animals, as well as to enhance one’s personal attractiveness, particularly to the opposite sex,” the researchers note in the article. “Interesting testimony pointed to the pursuit of seeing a crimson tongue peeking through the gap of gleaming teeth.”

Across the island, different communities appeared to have different patterns of tooth extraction, but the practice generally involved the extraction of several upper front teeth, most commonly the incisors (I) and/or canines (C). .

“Due to the high symmetry and regularity of extracted teeth in individuals with good oral health, the result was interpreted as intentional removal rather than as caused by alveolar pathology or traumatic accidents,” observed the researchers.

The team – led by archaeologist Yue Zhang – was able to divide the findings into four distinct cultural motivations behind the painful procedure. As mentioned above, the most common reason in communities was aesthetics – to separate humans from animals such as dogs, monkeys and pigs, and because regular teeth were deemed unattractive. And, interestingly, because they admired the arrangement of teeth found in mice.

Second, four populations showed that this was for practical reasons, to enable better speech pronunciation and reduce the risk of “crowding” (hyperdontia). (Although I had four premolars extracted for this reason, fortunately anesthetics had been invented by then.)

The third reason, the team found, was commemorative – or what researchers call “tests of courage” and visibly displaying “bravery” to younger members of society.

“Local people believed that removing teeth could reduce the pain caused by tattooing or ease pronunciation difficulties,” the authors added. “In many cases, the visible result was seen as proof of courage.”

Finally, the ritual was performed as a signal, to indicate that young members of the tribe had reached adulthood or to differentiate people in society.

“The resulting patterns on the teeth could alter interpersonal expression and communication, potentially signaling that an individual has acquired a new attribute of identity or group membership,” the researchers added. “Thus, this practice can be understood as part of a community’s repertoire of definitive cultural traits.”

And how were the teeth extracted? Well, as expected, quite brutally. Northern tribes used a tapping method, while southern populations preferred a wire-assisted drawing technique.

“Five groups living in the northern part of Taiwan (Atayal, Saisiyat, Sediq, Thao and Truku) commonly placed one end of a mediator against the tooth surface and hammered the other end with a striker to facilitate tooth extraction “, the report said. the researchers described. “The materials used by meditators and attackers varied: metal, stone or wood.

“The four southern groups (Bunun, Hla’alua, Kanakanavu and Tsou) used one (or two) wooden or bamboo stick(s) with a thread attached to one or both ends,” they continued. “The southern associated procedure involved tying the tooth tightly with wire and applying force to the stick(s) attached to the wire until the tooth was dislodged.”

The cavity would then be filled with ash from plants like sedge Miscanthus floriduluswhich would stem the bleeding and help prevent inflammation. According to historical records, most tooth removal “ceremonies” also took place in winter, to minimize the risk of infection.

“The extracted teeth were then buried in locations such as in front of the millet barn, under the bed and on the thatched roof,” the authors noted.

This research fills many gaps – no pun intended – in our understanding of this long-standing tradition in Taiwan, which began around 4,800 BP during the Neolithic period and continued throughout the Age of the iron, before fading in the early 1900s. As customs began to change, so did gender change, and the last known tooth extractions were primarily performed on women.

“In the 1910s, armed repression imposed by ruling entities to subjugate indigenous populations resulted in the eradication of local traditions, including tooth removal,” the researchers added.

This ancient ritual appears to have become common in Taiwan around the same time as pottery and agriculture, suggesting that it may be a practice imported by migration from southern China.

“Overall, the southern coast of China represents a strong candidate as a source of pottery tradition, rice and millet cultivation, and other diagnostic markers of Early Neolithic groups that moved to live in Taiwan,” the researchers added, noting that additional work is underway. necessary to determine the origins of tooth removal in Southeast Asia. “So far, the most plausible origin appears to have been from the Middle Yangtze to the Guangdong-Fujian coast.”

The research was published in the journal Archaeological research in Asia.

Source: Australian National University via Phys.org