Up to 50 percent of Maya adults sported gems in their teeth, but this is one of the first times dental inlays have been seen in children.
Gary Todd/Wikimedia CommonsAn example of Maya teeth inlaid with jade stones.
Archaeologists have long known that dental inlays were common among Maya adults, but now new evidence shows that children as young as seven years old also sported jade tooth gems.
An examination of three loose teeth with jade inlays revealed that each tooth came from a child between the ages of seven and 10. It’s still unknown how widespread this practice was among children, but researchers are hypothesizing that these gems were likely a rite of passage or a way to signify social maturity.
The Discovery Of Jade Inlays In Maya Children’s Teeth
A new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports analyzed three isolated teeth with gems that were donated to the Popol Vuh Museum in Guatemala. Researchers determined that these teeth — an upper central incisor, an upper canine, and a lower incisor — each belonged to a child between the ages of seven and 10. It’s unknown if they were all from the same individual or three separate children.
“Unfortunately, these teeth… are loose teeth that were donated to the Museum,” Dr. Andrea Cucina, one of the authors of the study, explained to Phys.org. “Archaeologically speaking, they are completely decontextualized, so we have no information at all on their provenance, taphonomic record, social status, etc.”
Scientists were able to determine the age of the teeth and the individuals they belonged to by examining the degree of growth formation. The analysis also indicates that the children were alive when the jade inlays were placed into the three teeth. These teeth add to the limited archaeological record of non-adults with dental inlays.
Marco Ramírez-Salomón, et al.Scans of the left incisor tooth analyzed by researchers.
Currently, there are very few reported cases of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 20 who had jade tooth gems. Most instances of these dental inlays are seen in Maya adults.
The Maya people would deliberately shape and engrave their teeth. Artisans used a stone tool to carve space for a stone, such as jade or obsidian, to be inserted. The gem would then be sealed to the tooth using an organic glue or cement to hold it in place.
According to the study, there is some evidence to support that children between the ages of 10 and 15 had teeth filled or engraved but did not have dental inlays. Despite X-rays showing the gems did not harm the innermost layer of the tooth, the study states it is possible that the practice wasn’t common in younger children due to the risk of damage to teeth.
Indeed, this is among the first physical evidence of a child receiving a dental inlay.
What Was The Purpose Of These Dental Inlays?
The only other known case of a child with jade gems in their teeth comes from the remains of a three-year-old in Belize. However, these inlays may have been placed after death as part of a burial ritual.
In comparing this discovery with the recently examined Maya teeth, researchers believe that inserting gems into children’s teeth likely reflect a regional practice and not something that was widespread throughout the civilization.
Marco Ramírez-Salomón, et al.Scans of the right canine tooth analyzed by researchers.
“Given the fact that so far the archaeological record in Mesoamerica has not reported any preadolescent with inlays… it makes me think that it might indeed be a regional, localized tradition,” Cucina said.
Researchers say that this tradition could have been linked to a child reaching a certain level of maturity. They hypothesize that the dental inlays may have signified that an individual had taken on new chores or responsibilities within the household or family.
However, until more children’s teeth with jade inlays are found, researchers cannot conclusively determine why these Maya youths had them.
After reading about jade inlays found in the teeth of Maya children, look through these photos from the early years of dentistry. Then, learn about Camazotz, the fearsome “death bat” of Maya mythology.
