Ormæte

What this skeleton told us: Evidence

A woman of who may be young or old (age at death was difficult to assign) and 159 cm tall (5 feet 3 inches). Her teeth display some tooth decay, gum disease and enamel thinning (enamel defects, or hypoplasia) as well as an infected tooth root and a sinus infection. There are also notches in her teeth.

Interpretation of the evidence

This woman was very slightly shorter than the average height for women in this period. She survived childhood and died in adulthood, which suggests she was well-nourished and had good health. However, we should remember that humans are very good at adapting to challenging times! Nevertheless, like many of the people buried at the Bowl Hole, she had poor dental hygiene that resulted in decay and infection, both of which could have been painful and possibly cause bad breath. Tooth decay indicates sugar in her diet. Her enamel hypoplasia illustrates that in childhood she had a deficient diet or disease, and sinus infection may indicate she was exposed to poor quality air. The notches in her teeth suggest the repeated holding of something between her teeth perhaps related to an activity like making baskets.