Effects of medieval lifestyle on oral and dental health: Van Kalesi and Amasra Ağlayan Ağaç societies

As maintained by bioarchaeological approach, oral and dental health data represent unique sources of information with regard to the understanding of dietary and health conditions. The analysis of dental findings, in conjunction with the anthropological, historical, and sociocultural conditions of the period, helps to establish comprehensive and critical links with factors such as stress indicators, dietary changes, climatic instability, and socio-economic structure. The objective of this study is to analyse the paleopathological characteristics of the jaw and tooth remains of individuals belonging to the Van Kalesi community, which exhibits a terrestrial lifestyle distinct from that of the Ağlayan Ağaç community, a port community cultivating their existence based on sea. Both communities are dated to the same medieval period. The objective of this examination is twofold: Firstly, to identify novel findings pertaining to the health levels, nutritional strategies, and dietary patterns of the subjects; and secondly, to comprehend the common and distinct aspects of their lifestyles. Another objective of the study is to ascertain the age of onset of Linear Mine Hypoplasia defects observed in these two geographically distinct communities using two different methods, thereby reliably identifying periods of stress experienced during childhood. A total of 188 subjects from the Van Kalesi community were examined, and 3532 teeth were identified; 2791 of these were permanent teeth and 741 were deciduous teeth. The conducted analysis revealed the following: periapical lesions were present in 9.7% of teeth, caries in 15.1% of teeth, dental calculus in 83.3% of the population, alveolar bone loss in 88.6% of the population, hypoplasia in 25.4% of teeth, and antemortem tooth loss in 26.2% of tooth sockets. The degree of tooth wear was generally determined to be grade 3. The second population, belonging to the Amasra Ağlayan Ağaç population, consisted of 50 individuals examined, and a total of 457 teeth were identified; 396 of these were permanent teeth and 61 were deciduous teeth. Within this population, the prevalence of abscessed teeth was recorded at 3.9%, while caries teeth were observed in 9.1% of cases. Furthermore, the presence of tartar was documented in 55.5% of subjects, alveolar loss was identified in 91,4%, hypoplastic teeth were noted in 37.4%, and antemortem tooth loss was observed in 15.4% of tooth sockets. The degree of wear was degress as '3 and 4'. Van Kalesi is regarded as one of the settlements with a high proportion among contemporary Anatolian communities. The distinction between the two can be ascribed to the city's port status, which resulted in the consumption of seafood and animal protein, and consequently, a more limited intake of carbohydrates. It was concluded that the carbohydrate-rich diet in Van Kalesi had a significant impact on oral health, while the diet in Ağlayan Ağaç was more balanced and varied. The age of onset data and band counts for linear mine hypoplasia defects were calculated according to the Reid and Dean and Goodman and Rose methods, and a comparison of these two methods was then conducted. The findings of both methods demonstrated that the distribution of biological stress during childhood was similar in terms of age groups. The stress indicators in the Amasra Ağlayan Ağaç population began at 1 year of age and reached their highest level between 3 and 3.5 years of age. In the Van Kalesi population, stress indicators were first observed at one year of age and reached their zenith between the ages of 4.5 and 5 years. The divergence of communities from one another is revealed by differences in the intensity of biological stress indicators. This divergence is indicative of disparities in environmental conditions, nutritional strategies, and health-related lifestyle practices. Analyses of dental and jaw pathologies reveal marked differences in environmental stress factors shaped by the geographical locations of the two communities. However, it is evident that, within the context of medieval Anatolia and within the framework of political, economic, and ecological dynamics, carbohydrate-based nutrition was a common and defining element in the diets of both communities. Van Kalesi has been determined to be a medium-level society in terms of deciduous teeth hypoplasia, while Ağlayan Ağaç has been determined to be a high-level society. The data unequivocally demonstrate that biological stress differs between the two societies, suggesting that more intense stress factors were peculiarly effective throughout childhood in Ağlayan Ağaç.