Arch Lake Woman: Physical Anthropology and Geoarchaeology

Dental Morphology and Measurements

Microprobe Analysis, Iron-bearing Sediment 35 Dental Morphology and Measurements ✦ M easurements and crown traits of the teeth were analyzed to gauge Arch Lake’s similarity to recent native Americans. Comparative data are from two arctic groups, nine groups representing major geographical regions in north America, and Peruvians from South America. Summary information for the subgroups of recent regional samples is presented in table 9. All specimens are curated by the Smithsonian Institution ’s national Museum of natural History. Utilizing the Arizona State University (ASU) dental anthropology system and referring to the focal traits and scaling system of Turner et al. (1991) and Scott and Turner (1997), fifteen discrete crown traits were examined for two accessible Paleoamerican crania with unworn teeth: Arch Lake and the juvenile from Horn Shelter no. 2. The presence or absence of the fifteen discrete traits for the two Paleoamerican tooth samples is given in table 10. According to Turner (1984, 1987, 1990) and Scott and Turner (1997), north and South American Indians have the world’s highest frequencies of winging (50%), shoveling (85–90%), and double shoveling (55–70%) in the maxillary central incisors. In the two Paleoamerican specimens, however, no winging or double shoveling is observed. Interruption grooves on the upper second incisor along with odontomes on both upper and lower first and second premolars are most common in native Americans (Scott and Turner 1997). These traits are not present in the two Paleoamericans. yet traits that are present in the Paleoamerican specimens are not common in native Americans. Specifically, the left upper first molar of Horn Shelter no. 2 has a tiny cusp of Carabelli, and both Paleoamericans have upper second molars with reduced hypocones. Appearance of the cusp of Carabelli on the upper first molar, reduction or absence of the hypocone on the upper second molar, and absence of the hypoconulid on the lower second molar are less common in native Americans. 35 Study of the Arch Lake Site 36 The other traits examined here are relatively infrequent in the new World region with the possible exception of the 6th cusp. The 6th cusp in the first lower molar is more common in native Americans than it is in East/Southeast Asians. neither the Arch Lake female nor the juvenile from Horn Shelter no. 2 has a 6th cusp. To determine the degree of shoveling of the upper first incisors, which is one of the most important traits in the dental dichotomy of pan-Pacific populations , depths were directly measured. Lingual fossa depths for the two PaTAbLe 9. GeOGrAPhiC OriGiN OF deNTAL MeTriC ANd diSCreTe-TrAiT COMPArATive SAMPLeS rePreSeNTiNG ArCTiC POPuLATiONS, NOrTh AMeriCAN iNdiANS, ANd PeruviANS. Sample name information Aleuts Mainly from unalaska and Kagamil islands, including Fox, rat, and Near islands Subarctic Canadian and Alaskan indians Alaska eskimos Lower yukon and Kuskokwim river basins, Seward Peninsula , and Point barrow California Alameda, Santa barbara, and the islands of Santa Cruz, San Miguel, and San Nicolas Great basin and Western Plains Colorado, idaho, Montana, Nevada, utah, and Wyoming (male sample only) Southwest Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico Plains (Northern) North dakota, South dakota, and Minnesota Plains (Southern and Central Plains and Midsouth) Arkansas, iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas Northeast Woodlands (east) Connecticut, delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New york, and Pennsylvania Northeast Woodlands (Midwest ) illinois, indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin Southeast Woodlands Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, virginia, and West virginia Peruvians Chicama, Chilca, Cinco Cerros, Nasca region, San damian , and other places 37 leoamericans are given in table 11; and those of comparative recent samples for females and males are presented in tables 12 and 13. Accepting that both Paleoamericans are females, figure 16 shows the mean depth of shoveling between right and left first incisors for female samples. With shoveling depths of 0.70 mm and 0.80 mm respectively, Arch Lake and Horn Shelter no. 2 dentitions have much less shoveling, indicating dissimilarity to the recent native American samples. TAbLe 10. TOOTh CrOWN TrAiTS iN TWO PALeOAMeriCAN deNTiTiONS (bASed ON The ASu SySTeM). Arch Lake horn Shelter No. 2 (Female) right Left right Left Winging ui1 - - - Shoveling ui1 (see depth of shoveling) double Shoveling ui1 - - - interruption grooves ui2 - - - Mesial canine ridge uC - - - Premolar odontomes - - - Carabelli cusp uM1 - - grade 2 grade 2 Cusp 5 uM1 - - - hypocone uM2 grade 2–3 grade 2–3 grade 2–3 grade 1 Cusp...