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題 名 | Dental Indicators of Health in Early Neolithic and Iron Age Skeletons from Taiwan=臺灣新石器時代早期及鐵器時代人骨健康的牙齒指標 |
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作 者 | 臧振華; 李匡悌; | 書刊名 | 南島研究學報 |
卷 期 | 4:2 2013.12[民102.12] |
頁 次 | 頁1-33 |
分類號 | 797.8 |
關鍵詞 | 牙齒病理; 線狀齒釉發育不全; 南關里東; 十三行; 臺灣新石器時代及鐵器時代; Dental pathology; Linear enamel hypoplasia; Nankuanli; Shisanhang; Neolithic and Iron Age Taiwan; |
語 文 | 英文(English) |
中文摘要 | 本研究論述若干從臺灣新石器時代人類遺骸中所獲得的資訊,並探討臺灣最早的新石器時代及較晚的鐵器時代人類生業改變的生物文化意涵。本研究的樣本來自兩個考古遺址。其中一批,共23個個體,是來自臺灣臺南市臺南科學園區內的南關里東(NKLE)遺址。該遺址屬於大坌坑文化,為臺灣最早的新石器時代文化,年代約距今5000年前。另一批,共23個個體,是來自臺灣北部的十三行遺址,年代約距今1800-500年前,屬於鐵器時代。本研究的目的有四:1)紀錄南關里東遺址人骨所呈現的一些口腔病徵及生理健康之指標,包括生前牙齒脫落、齲齒、齒槽骨萎縮、齒槽骨缺損、牙結石、牙齒磨耗,以及線狀齒釉發育不全。2)檢視南關里東遺址人骨的性別差異。3)比較臺灣新石器時代早期及鐵器時代的人類健康狀況。4)將臺灣史前時代的人骨放在更大的區域中來觀察。研究的結果顯示:作為嬰見及兒童健康指標的線狀齒釉發育不全現象,在南關里東遺址成人門齒上出現的頻率相當高(51.3%),說明這些臺灣新石器時代早期人類在其童年時曾經承受生理的壓力。此外,這批人骨在生前牙齒脫落、齲齒、齒槽骨缺損等方面,出現的頻率都相當低,分別是0.3%、1.9%,及1.0%;在齒槽骨萎縮及牙結石方面的出現頻率,則屬中等級,分別為8.8%及8.3%。出乎意料的是,在南關里東的人骨中,上述的健康指標,都沒有顯著的性別差異。不過,成年男性的牙齒磨耗,明顯高於成年女性。可能與年齡、飲食,及生活方式有關。整體而言,南關里東人骨的健康狀況,相當不錯。同樣令人意外的是:南關里東與十三行兩處遺址,在線狀齒釉發育不全、齲齒、生前牙齒脫落,及齒槽骨缺損等方面的頻率,沒有太大差別。但是十三行遺址的牙結石及齒槽骨萎縮的頻率則明顯較高,這可能與當時食物處理技術精緻化的轉變有所關連。此外,南關里東人骨的牙齒磨耗頻率(7.9%)高過十三行遺址的人骨,說明在新石器時代早期,牙齒仍然被當作是一種工具,但是到了鐵器時代,因為食用較多加工柔軟的食物,而且有了鐵器作為工具,減低了牙齒的磨耗。在南關里東遺址的人骨中,線狀齒釉發育不全的頻率為51.3%,高於十三行遺址的37.1%,似乎顯示在鐵器時代,兒童的生理健康狀況已有所改善。不過,這兩個數字在統計學上的意義並不明顯。我們如果不去注意那些可能是由於飲食、衛生或文化作為所造成的微小差異,南關里東與十三行兩處遺址人骨的牙齒健康狀況其實肯定是相似的。本研究所呈現的結果支持考古證據所顯示的:兩處遺址的居民同樣都是採行農業、漁業,以及開採海域與陸域資源為基礎的生業經濟。而大區域的比較顯示,臺灣新石器時代早期居民較其它地區遺址的居民承受了更大的生理壓力。總而言之,南關里東與十三行人骨口腔中若平指標的頻率,包括生前牙齒脫落、齲齒、齒槽骨缺損,都是報導資料中的最低者,說明臺灣史前居民具有良好的牙齒健康。這種情形似乎也反映了一種非農業的生業經濟,或是食用低澱粉、低糖,以及/或者具有止齲性質的海洋性食物。不過,由於本研究所使用的樣本數偏少,必須審慎看待這個研究結果。未來的研究,包括對南關里東及其他遺址更多人骨的研究,當會對本研究的資料有所擴充。 |
英文摘要 | This study introduces, for the first time, data recorded in some of the oldest Neolithic skeletons from Taiwan and investigates biocultural implications of changes in subsistence in the earliest Neolithic and later Iron Age Taiwan. Human skeletons from two archaeological sites in Taiwan are included. The first skeletal series is from the Nankuanli East (NKLE) site (n=23 individuals) located in the Tainan Science park, Tainan City in southwestern Taiwan. The NKLE skeletons are associated with the Tapenkeng culture (ca. 5000 years BP), the earliest Neolithic cultural sequence in Taiwan. The second skeletal series from Taiwan is from the Shisanhang (SSH) site (n=23 individuals), an Iron Age site (ca. 1800-500 years BP) located in northwestern Taiwan. The main objectives of this stud are to 1) document selected indicators of oral/dental (antemortem tooth loss-AMTL, dental caries, alveolar resorption, alveolar defects, dental calculus, and dental attrition) and physiological (linear enamel hypoplasia-LEH) health in the NKLE skeletons, 2) examine differences between male and female NKLE skeletons, 3) compare health in the early Neolithic and Iron Age Taiwan, and 4) place the prehistoric skeletons from Taiwan in a broader regional perspective. A relatively high frequency of LEH (51.3%), an indicator of infant and childhood health, was observed in the NKLE adult anterior teeth, indicating there was significant childhood stress experienced by the earliest Neolithic inhabitants of Taiwan. Relatively low frequencies of AMTL (0.3%), dental caries (1.9%), and alveolar defects (1.0%), and moderate levels of alveolar resorption (8.8%) and dental calculus (8.3%) were observed in the NKLE skeletons. Contrary to expectations, no significant sex differences were observed for most of the indicators of health in the NKLE series. However, compared to adult females, the frequency of advanced attrition was significantly higher in adult males, a difference that is likely related to age, diet, and subsistence practices. Overall, the dental health of the NKLE skeletons was good. Also contrary to expectations, the frequencies of childhood stress (LEH), dental caries, AMTL and alveolar defects are similar in the NKLE and SSH series. Significantly higher .frequencies of dental calculus and alveolar resorption are noted in the SSH series, consistent with the transition to advanced food processing techniques. The frequency of advanced dental attrition (7.9%) in the NKLE skeletons was higher than in SSH skeletons suggesting use of teeth as tools in the early Neolithic and an increased reliance on softer more processed foods and the use of metal tools in the Iron Age. Although not statistically significant, the higher frequency of LEH (51.3%) observed in the NKLE skeletons compared to those .from the SSH site (37.1%) suggests improvement in childhood health in the Iron Age. Overshadowing the mostly minor differences, many of which may be attributed to differences in diet, hygiene, and cultural practices, are the overwhelming similarities in dental health between the early Neolithic and later Iron Age skeletons. The evidence presented in this study confirms archaeological evidence that the prehistoric inhabitants of both sites shared a similar subsistence economy broadly based on farming, fishing and the hunting and gathering of marine and terrestrial resources. Regional comparisons of dental health indicators suggest the earliest Neolithic inhabitants of Taiwan, experienced more childhood physiological stress (LEH) than that observed in other series. Overall, the .frequencies of several indicators of oral infection (e.g., AMTL, dental caries, and alveolar defects) in the NKLE and SSH skeletons are among the lowest reported, indicating good dental health for Taiwan's prehistoric inhabitants, a finding that may also reflect a non-agricultural subsistence economy or diets low in starch and sugars and/or the cariostatic nature of marine diets. Given the small samples used in this study these conclusions must be viewed with caution. Future research, involving additional skeletons from the Nankuanli East site as well as other sites from Taiwan, will expand on the research reported in this study. |
本系統中英文摘要資訊取自各篇刊載內容。