Possible Causes of Tooth Wear in Medieval Icelanders

Objectives: The importance of the Icelandic Sagas as a source of information on the way of life and diet habits in Iceland and possibly other Nordic countries 1000 years ago is obvious. Extensive tooth wear in archaeological human skull material worldwide has been blamed on coarse diet. Near volcano Hekla, 66 skeletons dated from before 1104 were excavated from a graveyard. The purpose of this study was to determine the main causes of tooth wear in Icelanders 1000 years ago. Materials and methods: Available were 49 skulls for research. Two methods were used to evaluate tooth wear and seven for age estimation. An attempt was made to determine main causes of tooth wear in the light of likely diet and beverage consumption according to a computer search on food and drink customs described in the Icelandic Sagas. Results: Extensive tooth wear was seen in all groups, increasing with age. The first molars had the highest score with no difference between sexes. It had all the similarities seen in wear from coarse diet. In some instances it had similar characteristics as seen in erosion in modern Icelanders consuming excessive amounts of soft drinks. According to the Sagas, acidic whey was a daily drink and used for preservation of food in Iceland until recently. Conclusions: It is postulated that consumption of acidic drinks and food in addition to a coarse and rough diet, played a significant role in the dental erosion seen in ancient Icelanders.