Work

New insight into prehistoric craft specialisation. Tooth-tool use in the Chalcolithic burial site of Camino del Molino, Murcia, SE Spain

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: The use of dentition as a tool is well documented in archaeological collections and present-day populations. This paper analyses extra-masticatory wear in the dentition of a sample of articulated skeletons from Camino del Molino, a collective tomb that housed 1348 individuals throughout two contiguous phases spanning much of the 3rd millennium BC. A microscopic analysis has been carried out on the maxillae of five individuals, and macroscopically compatible markings have been recorded in three additional individuals. In all cases, the maxillary anterior dentition displays evidence that can be defined as occlusal and interproximal grooves consisting of fine, parallel striations, as well as labial notches and chipping of the enamel. The results suggest that eight individuals, mostly women, used their dentition in craft tasks, such as in the processing of fibres for textile production, hence representing the earliest evidence of craft specialisation in the Iberian Peninsula and proof of a possible sex-based division of labour in a Chalcolithic community.

Source: Journal of Archaeological Science Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104066

Authors: Sonia Díaz-Navarro, Rebeca García-González, Nico Cirotto, María Haber Uriarte

Institutions: Universidad de Valladolid, Universidad de Burgos, Universidad de Murcia

Language: English

Topic: Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,410

Funders: Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Junta de Castilla y León, European Social Fund