Preliminary study of microremains in dental calculus of mid-Holocene hunter-gatherer groups (Colombian Andean highlands)

ARCHILA SONIA; MA. GABRIELA MUSAUBACH; MARTHA MEJÍA; CARL LANGEBAEK

Leipzig

Workshop; Workshop on the Analysis of Micro Particles in Archaeological Sample (WAMPAS 2016); 2016

Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

A research on microremains from dentalcalculus has been carried out to study consuming plant foods and plant uses inhunter-gatherer groups who inhabited Colombian Andean highlands at about 5000years BP. In particular we present the protocol we have used in order todescribe and removed calculus from teeth. We also explain the process ofmicroremain observation and description taking into account non-invasiveprotocols which allow us to assess type of microparticules preserved in thesamples and to select particular chemical treatment for dental calculus.