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What this skeleton told us: Evidence

A 6 to 7 year old child with a well-preserved skeleton. Both milk and adult teeth were present. He or she had tooth decay and plaque as well as some evidence of thinning of the dental enamel (enamel defects, or hypoplasia). Some of the crowns of the adult teeth had an abnormal shape and there was some new bone around the erupting teeth.

Interpretation of the evidence

Child mortality was likely high in Anglo-Saxon Britain so that many did not survive into adulthood. This child, as well as already having tooth decay (linked to sugar in their diet), was experiencing problems during the formation and development of his teeth (enamel hypoplasia), possibly due to an infection or dietary deficiency. He or she may also have had toothache.