Maryland Archeology Month

-April 2008-

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Archeology in Annapolis

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Archeology Gallery

Tooth-Marked Pottery Sherd

Tooth-Marked Pottery Sherd

These photos show bite impressions preserved on a prehistoric pottery sherd excavated from the Cresaptown site (18Ag119). The impressions were revealed during the process of routine ceramic analysis.

The rim sherd is typical of the uncollared Page limestone-tempered ceramics that dominate the Cresaptown site assemblage. The sherd has a vertically cordmarked exterior and plain interior.

Although this sherd was not recovered from dated contexts, radiocarbon dates obtained from nearby features range from AD 1000 - 1300.

Two tooth impressions are visible on the top right portion of the sherd.

These impressions are relatively shallow; not exceeding 1 mm in depth. The entire occlusal surface of the left incisor impression is represented.

Of particular interest is the obvious shovelling of the maxillary incisors. Shovel shaped incisors is a trait observed in 90 per cent of Asian and Native American populations but occurs in less than 15 per cent of white and black populations.

The presence of this trait offers further evidence to the ancestry of the child whose impressions are still visible approximately 1000 years after they were made.

Click here to read the report about this object in PDF format.