Laboratório de Antropologia Biológica, Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências - Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 2018 Nov;167(3):507-523. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.23681. Epub 2018 Aug 29.
In this study, we evaluate the role of plants in the diet of fisher-hunter gatherers adapted to highly productive coastal environments. Oral health markers were used to track spatiotemporal variations (regional and diachronic) in the composition of carbohydrate in the diets of prehistoric shell mound builders (sambaqui) from the Southeast of Brazil. Our main objective is to test the supposed stability in the dietary habits of sambaqui populations and identify modulating effects of chronological, cultural, and/or ecological factors.
Eighteen oral health markers (divided into three categories: caries, periodontal disease, and dental wear) were applied in 233 individuals from 7 sambaquis (dated between 4800 and 1100 BP) from 5 geographic regions.
Our results reveal variable oral health patterns among sites. Despite that, we found a number of common features, such as dental wear and associated pulp lesions. Some oral health patterns are compatible with cariogenic diets and high carbohydrate consumption.
Our analyses suggest that plant resource management is plausible at some sites and support the emerging evidence that plant consumption among sambaqui populations was driven more by ecologic factors than chronological or cultural ones. A comprehensive record of oral health markers shows promise as a methodology to differentiate between otherwise extremely similar diets.
本研究评估了适应高生产力沿海环境的渔猎采集者饮食中植物的作用。我们使用口腔健康标志物来追踪巴西东南部史前贝壳丘建造者（sambaqui）饮食中碳水化合物组成的时空变化（区域和历时变化）。我们的主要目的是检验 sambaqui 人群饮食习惯的稳定性，并确定年代、文化和/或生态因素的调节作用。
我们在来自 5 个地理区域的 7 个 sambaqui（年代在 4800 至 1100 BP 之间）的 233 个人中应用了 18 个口腔健康标志物（分为龋齿、牙周病和牙齿磨损 3 类）。
尽管如此，我们发现了一些共同的特征，例如牙齿磨损和相关的牙髓病变。我们的研究结果揭示了各遗址之间不同的口腔健康模式。一些口腔健康模式与致龋饮食和高碳水化合物消耗有关。
我们的分析表明，在某些地点进行植物资源管理是可行的，并支持这样一种新兴观点，即 sambaqui 人群的植物消费更多地受到生态因素的驱动，而不是年代或文化因素。口腔健康标志物的综合记录显示出作为一种区分非常相似饮食的方法的潜力。
