Food habits and dental disease in an iron-age population.

Tooth diseases and wear record valuable information on diet and methods of food preparation in past human populations. In this paper the teeth of an Iron-Age population (Monte Bibele, Bologna) are analyzed to reconstruct their nutritional situation. The analysis of caries frequency and distribution indicates a level of carbohydrate consumption which is consistent with an agricultural way of life. The presence of calculus indicates that proteins were present in the diet of the Monte Bibele population. The frequency of antemortem tooth loss and of dental abscesses is in harmony with the results of the analysis of caries and calculus. The examination of dental wear suggests the presence of a substantial vegetable component in the diet. From the analysis of the dental characteristics one can conclude that the population of Monte Bibele had a prevalent agricultural economy. The presence of some diachronic variations in the distribution of the examined characters suggest changes in the diet in the course of time.