Cutmarks on fossil human anterior teeth of the Sima de los Huesos Site (Atapuerca, Spain) [An article from: Journal of Archaeological Science]

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Description:
We document the presence of a type of obliquely oriented striations on the buccal surface of the anterior teeth of the hominins from the Middle Pleistocene site of the Sima de los Huesos (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). A sample of 31 anterior teeth have been microscopically analysed with binocular lens and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). These teeth belonged to three out of the 28 individuals identified in the Sima de los Huesos (SH) hypodigm. The quantitative and qualitative variables obtained from the striations suggest that the observed scratches are cutmarks. Moreover experimental analysis consisting of producing cutmarks with different lithic raw materials on surgically extracted modern human teeth was performed. Results from this experiment support the ''cultural'' origin of the striations observed in the fossil teeth. It seems likely that SH hominins employed their anterior teeth as a ''third hand'' to carry out paramasticatory activities.