Oral and dental health in Ekşi Höyük during the 10th–11th centuries AD: Funerary practices and bioarchaeological evaluation of skeletal remains

In archaeological research, oral and dental health data play a significant role in reconstructing the social, cultural, and economic structures of past communities, as well as in identifying their dietary patterns. Likewise, ritual elements such as burial practices, grave types, orientations of the body, and head positions have the potential to reflect the cultural interactions and belief systems of their time. This thesis investigates the relationship between oral and dental health indicators and grave typologies in individuals buried in the Ekşi Höyük cemetery, dated to the 10th–11th centuries AD, in order to draw inferences about the socio-cultural structure of the community through their dietary habits and mortuary practices. Within the scope of the thesis, bioarchaeological indicators—such as dental caries, tooth wear, periodontitis, and abscesses were evaluated to explore dietary differences in relation to age and sex categories. The study is based on the hypothesis that the sociopolitical and cultural transformations occurring during the transition from the Byzantine to the Seljuk period, particularly in the Denizli region, may have been reflected in both dietary habits and burial practices. In this context, the research also questions whether the observed diversity of grave types was influenced not only by religious differences but also by possible social hierarchy. The variability in grave architecture, body orientations, and head positions suggests that the cemetery may have been used jointly by multi-faith groups or by communities from different chronological phases. Oral and dental pathologies were found to be more frequent in individuals buried in simple pit graves, which may reflect lower socioeconomic conditions, restricted dietary diversity, and poor oral hygiene. Although some statistically significant differences were observed between sexes and age groups—indicating a horizontal level of social differentiation -there is insufficient evidence to suggest a vertically structured and systematic social hierarchy. The findings suggest that grave type preferences may have been shaped not only by ritual norms, but also by individuals' lifestyles and social roles. Keywords: Ekşi Höyük, 10th–11th centuries AD, grave typology, oral and dental health, burial practices