Objective

To describe the oral pathological conditions of Ohalo II H2, an Early Epipaleolithic human from southwest Asia.

Materials

The dentognathic skeleton of Ohalo II H2 and relevant comparative data from similar chronological and/or geographic contexts.

Methods

Gross and x-ray observations of oral pathological conditions and occlusal wear were made following published protocols. A differential diagnosis of antemortem tooth loss is provided.

Results

Ohalo 2 has two carious lesions on the right M³, pulpal exposure of left M₁, and mild to moderate anterior alveolar bone loss. The right I¹ was lost antemortem, and there is probably agenesis of the left M³.

Conclusions

The pathological conditions noted are not exceptional for a Late Upper Paleolithic forager. However, the antemortem missing right I¹ is most parsimoniously explained by intentional dental ablation.

Significance

Ohalo 2 could represent the oldest example of dental ablation from the Late Pleistocene circum-Mediterranean world – predating the earliest examples from both North Africa and southwest Asia by several thousand years. The similarity of the Ohalo 2 ablation pattern with later Natufians provides further evidence of potential long-term behavioral trends related to the embodiment of social identities through international body modification within the Epipaleolithic of southwest Asia.

Limitations

The pre-Natufian (∼23,000–14,500 cal BP) human fossil record is relatively sparse, making comparisons with the Natufian (∼14,500−11,500 cal BP) phases of the Epipaleolithic difficult.

Suggestions for Further Research

Documentation of oral pathological conditions for other pre-Natufian fossils would provide greater resolution of the temporospatial patterning of oral health and embodied social identities during the Epipaleolithic of southwest Asia.

中文翻译：

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来自西南亚的旧石器时代早期人类的口腔病理状况：Ohalo II H2 作为故意牙科消融的可能案例。

客观的

描述来自西南亚的旧石器时代早期人类 Ohalo II H2 的口腔病理状况。

材料

Ohalo II H2 的牙颌骨骨骼和来自类似年代和/或地理背景的相关比较数据。

方法

口腔病理状况和咬合磨损的大体和 X 射线观察是按照已发表的协议进行的。提供了生前牙齿缺失的鉴别诊断。

结果

Ohalo 2 右侧 M ³有两个龋损，左侧 M _{1 的}牙髓暴露，以及轻度至中度前牙槽骨丢失。右侧的 I ¹在死前丢失，左侧的 M ³可能发育不全。

结论

注意到的病理状况对于旧石器时代晚期的觅食者来说并不例外。然而，生前缺失右 I ¹最简单地解释为有意的牙齿消融。

意义

Ohalo 2 可以代表来自晚更新世环地中海世界的最古老的牙齿消融例子——比来自北非和西南亚的最早例子早几千年。Ohalo 2 消融模式与后来的 Natufians 的相似性提供了与通过西南亚旧石器时代国际身体改造体现社会身份相关的潜在长期行为趋势的进一步证据。

限制

前纳图夫阶 (~23,000–14,500 cal BP) 人类化石记录相对稀少，与旧石器时代的纳图阶 (~14,500-11,500 cal BP) 阶段进行比较比较困难。

进一步研究的建议

记录其他前纳图夫时代化石的口腔病理状况将提供更大的分辨率，以解决西南亚旧石器时代口腔健康和社会身份的时空模式。