Since the early twentieth century, the archaeology of dental modification has received significant attention, as modified teeth are especially important for interpreting past human culture in the archaeological record. Despite the existence of the practice in Ethiopia, to date no archaeological or ethnoarchaeological research has been conducted to examine the antiquity of the tradition. This ethnoarchaeological study investigates the procedures, motives and implications of dental modification from a social identity perspective, with special emphasis on the Karrayyu Oromo of central Ethiopia. The study reveals that the skillful local practitioners of dental modification, known as ogeettii ilkee, make modification to individuals’ upper front incisors. The study also shows that, among the Karrayyu Oromo, both adult males and females undergo midline diastema formation for aesthetic purposes, as well as for marking clan identity and rites of passage. This exploration is important to track the history of the Karrayyu Oromo, who have no written language, and to serve as a working model in different Ethiopian regions where the tradition is in place.

中文翻译：

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“我必须通过改变中线裂隙来与我的祖先相似”：埃塞俄比亚中部 Karrayyu Oromo 牙齿改变的民族考古学研究

自 20 世纪初期以来，牙齿修复的考古学受到了极大的关注，因为在考古记录中，牙齿修饰对于解释过去的人类文化尤为重要。尽管在埃塞俄比亚存在这种做法，但迄今为止还没有进行考古学或民族考古学研究来检验这一传统的古老性。这项民族考古研究从社会认同的角度调查了牙齿矫正的程序、动机和影响，特别强调了埃塞俄比亚中部的 Karrayyu Oromo。研究表明，当地熟练的牙齿矫正从业者（称为 ogeettii ilkee）对个人的上前门牙进行了矫正。研究还表明，在 Karrayyu Oromo 人中，成年男性和女性都会经历中线间隙的形成，以达到审美目的，以及标记氏族身份和通过仪式。这种探索对于追踪没有书面语言的 Karrayyu Oromo 人的历史很重要，并作为在传统存在的不同埃塞俄比亚地区的工作模式。