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WonderBiomolecular archaeology fact1,809 of 1,961

Mineralized dental calculus can trap DNA, proteins, microbes and food microremains for millennia, preserving evidence of ancient diet, health and oral ecology.

The archive between ancient teeth

ArchaeologyHealthBiology

Why it matters

The idea in context

Dental plaque mineralizes during life, sealing tiny fragments from the mouth and meals into a hard deposit. Centuries later, researchers can recover oral bacteria, milk proteins, plant starches and other traces from it. A substance removed as nuisance in the present becomes, in archaeology, a rare molecular archive of ordinary bodies and everyday eating.

Türkçe

Aynı kart, başka bir dilde.

Mineralleşmiş diş taşı DNA, protein, mikrop ve yiyecek mikroartıklarını binlerce yıl hapsedebilir; eski beslenme, sağlık ve ağız ekolojisine dair kanıtları korur.
Kadim dişlerin arasındaki arşiv

Diş plağı yaşam sırasında mineralleşir; ağızdan ve öğünlerden minik parçaları sert bir birikimin içine mühürler. Yüzyıllar sonra araştırmacılar ağız bakterisi, süt proteini, bitki nişastası ve başka izleri oradan çıkarabilir. Bugün rahatsızlık diye temizlenen madde, arkeolojide sıradan bedenler ve gündelik yemeğin nadir moleküler arşivine dönüşür.

Source trail

Read beyond the card.

Background reading: Calculus (dental)Attribution and context are revised when stronger evidence appears. Corrections are welcome through the editorial page.
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