ODONTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE ALTINTEPE URARTU SKELETONS

Abstract

It has been shown that under the pressure of natural selection, tooth size varies over time among societies. The study of metric size variation is a common method used by anthropologists to investigate the morphologic relationships in archaeological Anatolian societies. The size, shape, and structure of the tubercles of teeth is primarily determined by genes. The integral role of genes does not only apply to the crown and roots, but also to numerous features of the tooth. In this study conducted at the Urartu Altıntepe site, skeletal measurements were taken to understand the critical differences in size and morphology among the individuals. The data for this study in the Altıntepe necropol area is comprised from 152 individuals from 38 graves from which mesio-distal measurements were taken from 684 permanent teeth and bucco-lingual measurements were collected from 693 permanent teeth. The measurements taken from upper and lower left teeth were graphed in a statistical Cluster analysis to reveal dental similarities in community groups. The data results show that the Altıntepe Urartu community shares tooth size similarities with the Van-Karagündüz society of the Early Iron Age and the Kütahya Ağızören Hittite society.

Keywords

• Altıntepe
• Urartu
• Paleodemography
• Teeth
• Odontometric Analysis