Jagmahender Singh SEHRAWAT | Rk. PATHAK
(Anthropology Deptt., Panjab University, Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India)

Keywords: human remains, Teeth, Stable Isotopes, lifestyles and living conditions

Abstract:
Abandoned wells have remained the best burial sites for clandestine (intentional or accidental) disposal of human cadavers since ancient times. Archaeological recovery of human remains from such settings have been reported from different corners of the world, however, no such recovery was reported from India previously. In one such historical incident (Cooper, 1958), some Indian-origin people were brutally killed in 1857 AD by that time rulers and their corpses were disposed of in a nearby abandoned well by sanitary workers and; a religious structure (worshipped by local community) was built over the periphery of this well having corpses buried down in it. In April 2014, thousands of teeth and bones were excavated out unscientifically from this ancient well located in a northern Indian state. Teeth and few jaw fragments were found in fairly sound condition to be suitable for reconstruction of life history and provenance.
Researches in stable isotope analysis of human remains have achieved new milestones during last decade and have yielded valuable scientific insights. Stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C), hydrogen (δ2H), oxygen (δ18O), nitrogen (δ15N) and strontium (δ87Sr) have helped reconstruct the population structure and life histories of past people like their dietary status, health and disease conditions, milk and meat consumptions, vegetarianism or non- vegetarianism etc. As teeth are resilient to chemical and physical degradation and; only attrition, breakage and demineralisation can change the tooth crown morphology (White and Folkens, 2005), present study is based on morphological and chemical analysis of 1200 molar teeth (mandibular and maxillary) recovered from the well. Majority of teeth had fairly good anatomical features and were found free from dental caries (crown or cervical root). Low incidence of caries indicated use of coarse and fibrous contents in food products by the victims. Very few teeth showed signs of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH). Stable isotope analysis of enamel was conducted to verify or negate the morphological observations of the teeth. Present Oral presentation will highlight the consequences of unscientific excavation of human remains and their condition, morphological and preliminary molecular identification of remains, stable isotope analysis of remains in context to dietary intakes, health status and milk or meat consumption of the victims.

Relevance conference | Relevance session:
Present paper highlights role of scientific modalities in reconstructing past living conditions and lifestyles from preserved human teeth.

Innovation:
Stable isotope analysis of archaeological human remains to reflect health and disease condition of past populations.

References:
TESSONE, A. / GARCIA GURAIB, S. / GONI, Ra. / PANARELLO, Ho. (2016): Isotopic evidence of weaning in hunter-gatherers from the late holocene in Lake Salitroso, Patagonia, Argentina. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 2016; 158:105-115
MEIER-AUGENSTEIN, W. (2008): Forensic Isotope analysis leads to identification of a mutilated murder victim. Science and Justice 2008;48(3): 153-159