Mansilla J, Solis C, Chávez-Lomeli M E, Gama J E
Dirección de Antropología Física, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, México D.F. 11560, Mexico.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 2003 Jan;120(1):73-82. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.10152.
The etiological basis of the abnormal coloration of archaeological teeth has been an unsolved question for a long time. Differences in the appearance of some archaeological teeth from Precolumbian adult and infant skeletons, detected by external optical inspection, led us to study this problem. A blue stain is visible in a few of the deciduous erupted teeth, and a brown color in various unerupted teeth in the collection, while brown spots appear on some permanent teeth. Several processes or factors that may occur during one's life, others around the time of death, and still others resulting from postmortem alterations have been reported as potential causes of abnormal tooth coloration.A sample of 35 colored teeth and two soil layers taken from Tlatelolco were analyzed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) as well as selective dissolution techniques. Concentrations of total and extractable elements in enamel and soil layers (Cg1-Cg2) were obtained. This paper describes the occurrence and implications of a substantial secondary concentration of Zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), strontium (Sr), and iron (Fe) in the deciduous erupted and nonerupted teeth as compared to that in the adult teeth. Our interpretation is that, in this archaeological context, the brown spots and blue stains on the teeth are due to differences in tooth enamel porosity and to a postmortem biogeochemical process. The alterations involve cumulization and diagenesis of iron, manganese, and organic matter solutions that were eluviated from the soil and are not the result of antemortem or perimortem conditions such as trauma or disease.
长期以来，考古牙齿颜色异常的病因基础一直是个未解之谜。通过外部光学检查发现，前哥伦布时期成人和婴儿骨骼中的一些考古牙齿外观存在差异，这促使我们研究这个问题。在这批藏品中，几颗已萌出的乳牙可见蓝色污渍，多颗未萌出的牙齿呈棕色，而一些恒牙上出现棕色斑点。据报道，人一生中可能发生的几种过程或因素、死亡前后的其他因素以及死后改变导致的其他因素，都是牙齿颜色异常的潜在原因。对从特拉特洛尔科采集的35颗有色牙齿样本和两层土壤进行了粒子诱导X射线发射（PIXE）分析以及选择性溶解技术分析。获得了牙釉质和土壤层中总元素和可提取元素的浓度（Cg1 - Cg2）。本文描述了与成年牙齿相比，已萌出和未萌出乳牙中锌（Zn）、锰（Mn）、锶（Sr）和铁（Fe）大量二次富集的情况及其影响。我们的解释是，在这种考古背景下，牙齿上的棕色斑点和蓝色污渍是由于牙釉质孔隙率的差异以及死后生物地球化学过程造成的。这些改变涉及从土壤中淋滤出来的铁、锰和有机质溶液的累积和成岩作用，而非生前或濒死时的状况如创伤或疾病所致。
