DENTAL ANTROPOLOJİK ÇALIŞMALARDA MİKRO AŞINMA ANALİZLERİYLE BESLENME ALIŞKANLIKLARININ BELİRLENMESİ

Being the most resistant parts of the body against all factors, teeth can be preserved intact for many years; therefore, teeth are used as important data sources in many dental anthropological studies. The teeth of living organisms contain information about their health and data regarding their diet, environmental relations and cultural structures can be obtained through detailed analysis of these teeth. Recently, in addition to macrowear, which is defined as visible wear on the enamel layer of the teeth, microwear marks on the chewing surface have also been meticulously evaluated. Microwear scars on teeth provide data on the contents, hardness, size and chewing force of the food taken into the mouth. In these researches with Scanning Electron Microscopy, the facets that make up the chewing surfaces of the teeth are evaluated in detail using different variables. Via such findings, information is obtained about the foods, nutrient contents, food preparation techniques and consumption patterns of the individuals of the relevant community during their lifetime. In addition, these studies also investigate the effects of factors such as age, gender, macrowear scars on microwear scars. However, the relatively low number of studies in this field warrants further research in this area in the future.