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21 - Cementochronology: A Solution to Reconstructing Past Populations’ Mortality Profiles Using Individual Age-at-Death Estimates

from Part III - Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2022

By
Laëtitia Lanteri ,
Bruno Bizot ,
Bérengère Saliba-Serre  and
Aurore Schmitt
Edited by
Stephan Naji ,
William Rendu  and
Lionel Gourichon
Stephan Naji
Affiliation:
New York University
William Rendu
Affiliation:
University of Bordeaux (CNRS)
Lionel Gourichon
Affiliation:
Université de Nice, Sophia Antipolis
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Summary

Paleodemographic mortality profiles are flawed due in part to well-understood methodological problems with individual age-at-death estimates. Cementochronology combined with probability density analysis potentially provides a solution. In this chapter we apply cementochronology as a single age indicator to reconstruct the mortality profile and life table of an archaeological sample of deciduous and permanent teeth from 119 individuals in France. Our results are consistent with the parish register data and demonstrate that cementochronology is effective in estimating the mortality of those under the age of 35. However, the method appears to underestimate the age-at-death for elderly individuals. This research points to the need for additional testing in elderly subjects. In addition, to improve the representativeness of archaeological samples, expanding this approach to other types of teeth for adults and subadults remains a major issue.

Keywords

cementochronologymortalityage-at-deathParish register
Type
Chapter
Information
Dental Cementum in Anthropology , pp. 338 - 350
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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