Teething Problems: Pierced tooth amulets and sensing pain in the Roman archaeological record

Abstract

References in ancient literary texts refer to the use of pierced teeth as amulets used for the prevention and reduction of teething pains in infants. In this paper, I explore some of the sensory aspects of this phenomenon by centralising pain as a sensory experience. I draw on a dataset of these objects from Roman Britain in order to contextualise the types and use of these objects within the Roman world. These two facets, linking the sensory experiences of teething pain to real, material objects, allows for a discussion of the lived and embodied experience of wearing this amulet in the ancient world, through which a greater appreciation of its sensory importance is gained.

Keywords

• Pain
• Senses
• Teething
• Amulet
• Magic
• Medicine