Date of Award
2006
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Anthropology
Supervisor
Chris White
Abstract
Using a bioarchaeological framework, a dental sample from Altun Ha, Belize, is examined to further address the possibility of intra-site dietary differences between elite structures. Scanningelectronmicroscopyofthebuccalenamelofsecondmolarsand premolars was used to quantify microwear fabrics. Enamel microwear frequencies (including overall feature tally, as well as both pit and striation mean lengths and breadths) form the primary database to reconstruct age-, sex- and status-based variation
in diet, and were then integrated with the results of previous and continuing analyses, including stable carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotope ratios (Olsen, 2006; White et al., 2001,200lb), dental health (Song, 1996), and archaeological mortuary data (Pendergast,
1979,1982,1990,1992). The goals of this research are to: 1) contribute to what is known of Maya life at the site of Altun Ha; and 2) test the efficacy of dental microwear analysis to reflect food consumption.
Recommended Citation
Goodfellow, Stephanie, "DENTAL MICROWEAR ANALYSIS AT ALTUN HA, BELIZE" (2006). Digitized Theses. 4938.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4938