VAPP · Virtual Anthropology of Prehistoric Portugal

Virtual Anthropology of Prehistoric Portugal

The primary goal of the Virtual Anthropology of Prehistoric Portugal (VAPP) Project was to document and interpret patterns of external and internal dental morphological variation among prehistoric humans spanning the Upper Paleolithic to Bronze Age of Portugal. We examined the dental morphology of archaeological human teeth to better understand human population dynamics, microevolution, and behavior in Portugal from the Pleistocene to historic periods. We recorded data on external dental morphology (like tooth size and shape) as well as discrete characteristics—variation in cusp and root number, patterning, and relative size among other traits. Together and independently, these data can provide evidence of past human biological affinity and relatedness within and between human populations, as well as signatures of selection on dental morphology related to dietary, masticatory, and behavioral variation. In addition to the external observations made on teeth that can be viewed with the naked eye or low magnification, we used advanced virtual imaging technologies to explore the morphology that is found beneath the surfaces of teeth. Virtual images were created using non-destructive, x-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT) to obtain high-resolution images of internal dental morphology that could be reconstructed for three-dimensional (3D) analysis of tissue proportions (i.e., the relative amount of enamel, dentin, and pulp), the shape of the enamel-dentin junction (where the enamel and dentin meet), and enamel thickness. These variables provide fine-grained insights into human population dynamics that may not be possible from external morphology (e.g., because tooth wear during life removes relevant cusp morphology) or aspects of selection—such as changes in tissue proportions or enamel thickness—that may correspond to changing diet and food processing technology throughout human evolution. During the project a large and unique virtual database of archaeological human teeth was amassed that will greatly improve our understanding of human biocultural evolution in Portugal but also provide an important source of comparative material for exploring broader, interregional patterning of dental microevolution and how this reflects human behavior in the past. Not only will this provide more nuanced understanding of population dynamics in the past, but specific dental traits not previously explored from the standpoint of external and internal morphology (e.g., lateral incisor mesial bending) will be more fully understood. Importantly, the project explored non-destructive means of assessing human population dynamics and behavior that ensures opportunities for future research focused on these finite cultural heritage resources while also providing a virtual record of their current state of preservation. Thus, the VAPP Project not only provided new insights into past human behavior for academic and public audiences, but also contributed to virtual curation of cultural heritage resources.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз