The Sustainability of Dental Calculus for Archaeological Research

Meaghan Emma Mackie; Anita Radini; Camilla Speller

Abstract

Dental calculus is a mineralized plaque biofilm formed by microbiota of the oral microbiome. Until recently, the information potential of dental calculus for archaeological study was not fully realised and it was often discarded. However, it is now recognized that dental calculus entombs and preserves valuable microfossils and biomolecules within its matrix. While the analysis of calculus is usually destructive, judicious sampling of relatively small quantities of material can provide unique information on ancient health and diet. Additionally, dental calculus is not classified as human tissue, but as an ectopic growth, and in some cases may provide an alternative to the destructive analysis of human skeletal remains. We present a case study applying microscopy and shotgun proteomic methods to Roman Age individuals to demonstrate the potential of even minute quantities of dental calculus to entrap and preserve biomolecules related to diet, health and disease.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Publikationsdato	2016
Antal sider	8
Status	Udgivet - 2016
Udgivet eksternt	Ja
Begivenhed	Chacmool: Shallow Pasts, Endless Horizons: Sustainability & Archaeology - University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada Varighed: 11 nov. 2015 → 14 nov. 2015 Konferencens nummer: 48 https://antharky.ucalgary.ca/chacmool2015/

Konference

Konference	Chacmool
Nummer	48
Lokation	University of Calgary
Land/Område	Canada
By	Calgary
Periode	11/11/2015 → 14/11/2015
Internetadresse	https://antharky.ucalgary.ca/chacmool2015/

FN’s Verdensmål

Dette resultat bidrager til følgende verdensmål

Adgang til dokumentet

http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/51847Licens: CC BY

Citationsformater

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title = "The Sustainability of Dental Calculus for Archaeological Research",

abstract = "Dental calculus is a mineralized plaque biofilm formed by microbiota of the oral microbiome. Until recently, the information potential of dental calculus for archaeological study was not fully realised and it was often discarded. However, it is now recognized that dental calculus entombs and preserves valuable microfossils and biomolecules within its matrix. While the analysis of calculus is usually destructive, judicious sampling of relatively small quantities of material can provide unique information on ancient health and diet. Additionally, dental calculus is not classified as human tissue, but as an ectopic growth, and in some cases may provide an alternative to the destructive analysis of human skeletal remains. We present a case study applying microscopy and shotgun proteomic methods to Roman Age individuals to demonstrate the potential of even minute quantities of dental calculus to entrap and preserve biomolecules related to diet, health and disease.",

author = "Mackie, {Meaghan Emma} and Anita Radini and Camilla Speller",

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language = "English",

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T1 - The Sustainability of Dental Calculus for Archaeological Research

AU - Mackie, Meaghan Emma

AU - Radini, Anita

AU - Speller, Camilla

N1 - Conference code: 48

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Dental calculus is a mineralized plaque biofilm formed by microbiota of the oral microbiome. Until recently, the information potential of dental calculus for archaeological study was not fully realised and it was often discarded. However, it is now recognized that dental calculus entombs and preserves valuable microfossils and biomolecules within its matrix. While the analysis of calculus is usually destructive, judicious sampling of relatively small quantities of material can provide unique information on ancient health and diet. Additionally, dental calculus is not classified as human tissue, but as an ectopic growth, and in some cases may provide an alternative to the destructive analysis of human skeletal remains. We present a case study applying microscopy and shotgun proteomic methods to Roman Age individuals to demonstrate the potential of even minute quantities of dental calculus to entrap and preserve biomolecules related to diet, health and disease.

AB - Dental calculus is a mineralized plaque biofilm formed by microbiota of the oral microbiome. Until recently, the information potential of dental calculus for archaeological study was not fully realised and it was often discarded. However, it is now recognized that dental calculus entombs and preserves valuable microfossils and biomolecules within its matrix. While the analysis of calculus is usually destructive, judicious sampling of relatively small quantities of material can provide unique information on ancient health and diet. Additionally, dental calculus is not classified as human tissue, but as an ectopic growth, and in some cases may provide an alternative to the destructive analysis of human skeletal remains. We present a case study applying microscopy and shotgun proteomic methods to Roman Age individuals to demonstrate the potential of even minute quantities of dental calculus to entrap and preserve biomolecules related to diet, health and disease.

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

T2 - Chacmool

Y2 - 11 November 2015 through 14 November 2015

ER -