Cementochronology, to cut or not to cut?
International Journal of Paleopathology. 2016-12-01; 15: 113-119
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2014.05.003
Lire sur PubMed
Naji S(1), Colard T(2), Blondiaux J(3), Bertrand B(4), d’Incau E(5),Bocquet-Appel JP(6).
Author information:
(1)Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5199 PACEA, B.8, allée Geoffroy St Hilaire, 33615
Pessac, France. Electronic address: .
(2)Lille University, Forensic Taphonomy Unit – Anthropology, Lille Forensic
Institute, 59000, France. Electronic address: .
(3)Centre d’Etudes Paléopathologiques du Nord, 36 rue Jules Ferry, 59127
Walincourt-Selvigny, France. Electronic address: .
(4)Laboratoire d’Anthropologie, Direction de l’Archéologie, Communauté
d’Agglomération du Douaisis, 59500 Douai, France. Electronic address:
.
(5)Université de Bordeaux, UFR des sciences odontologiques, 33082 Bordeaux,
France. Electronic address: .
(6)CNRS-EPHE, UPR 2147, rue de l’Amiral Mouchez, 75014 Paris, France. Electronic
address: .
One of the continuing problems in paleopathology and paleoepidemiology is an
inability to accurately age adult skeletons. Accurate age estimations are
critical to the proper evaluation of population health and are necessary in
circumventing certain aspects of the osteological paradox. Cementochronology is
most likely the only age indicator in anthropology that directly considers a
continuously growing tissue and does not require either complex statistical
manipulations or the use of a reference population. The major issues and recent
advances linked to this technique are reviewed for its successful
implementation. This review is a partial outcome of an international research
program initiated in 2010 to develop and expand cementochronology. Because
cementochronology is a reasonably straightforward histological protocol, it can
be implemented in less than 24h for one tooth at a relatively low cost. The only
aspect of cementochronology that requires extensive previous experience is the
counting of increments. These unique aspects largely justify the regular
implementation of cementochronology in paleoepidemiology and paleopathology in
the confident exploration of « population health » issues and demographic
inferences.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.