东胡林4号人牙齿形态特征观察

Morphological Features of the Dentition of"Donghulin Man 4"

北京门头沟区斋堂镇东胡林遗址是重要的新石器时代早期遗址。本文描述了东胡林4号人(14C年龄约为8540aBP.,树轮校正年龄约为7500aBC.)的上颌牙、下颌牙21枚。多数牙齿重度磨耗,意味着当时人类处于狩猎—采集经济时代,食物结构可能主要以坚硬食物(如朴树果核)或高纤维食物为主。上第三臼齿退化缩小,X光透视检查为东胡林人下第三臼齿阻生提供了确凿无疑的证据。在4枚牙齿上发现龋洞,其中左上第一臼齿、第二臼齿的龋蚀已破坏牙本质全层。严重的龋齿病揭示了东胡林4号人的口腔状态,在一定程度上可能与经常性地摄取富含碳水化合物的食物有关。

The Donghulin site, located near the village of Donghulin, Zhaitang, Mentougou District of Beijing, is an important site of early Neolithic age. The present study describes twenty- one maxillary and mandibular teeth of ＂Donghulin Man 4＂ （^14C age about 8540 BP, c. 7500 cal BC. ）. Most of the teeth have been heavily worn, implying that the diet of the Donghulin people, as hunter-gatherers, is mainly composed of tough and fibrous foods （e. g. , seeds of Celtis L. ）. The maxillary third molar is reduced, while the X-ray observations conclusively demonstrated that the mandibular third molar is impacted. Dental caries are present in four teeth, and in particular, caries in the left maxillary first and second molars have destroyed the whole layer of dentin; the development of such heavy dental caries implies that the Donghulin people probably have a dietary preference to take in carbohydrate-rich foods with a high frequency.