Dental morphology of three individuals from Hunnic-period burials in Crimea (based on materials from the Ust-Alma and Belyaus necropolises)

Abstract

Introduction. The study focuses on the dental morphology analysis of three individuals from Hunnic-period burials in Crimea (Ust-Alma and Belyaus necropolises). This study builds upon previous publication of the archaeological context and craniological analysis of these individuals (Khodyreva, Shkribliak, 2023).

Materials and methods. The research material consisted of two well-preserved skeletons (a male 20–25 years old and a female over 55 years old) from Hunnic-period burials at the Ust-Alma settlement necropolis, as well as the skull of a child aged 10–11 years from an ancient crypt at the Belyaus settlement. For all skulls, an analysis of dental and maxillofacial pathologies and non-metric dental traits was conducted. The individuals from Ust-Alma were also examined for the presence of traumas, pathologies, and developmental anomalies of the skeletal bones.

Results. The results of the dental analysis revealed the presence, in varying combinations, of traits associated with the Eastern dental complex (e.g., shoveling, hypocone expression, deflective wrinkle) and those characteristic of Western complexes (e.g., Carabelli's cusp). This indicates a mixed ancestry of the studied individuals. The paleopathological analysis of the male's postcranial skeleton revealed a series of entheseal changes, which may testify to high physical activity associated with horse riding and archery, consistent with historical data on the Huns.

Conclusion. The obtained results are in agreement with craniological data and confirm the anthropological heterogeneity of the Hunnic-period population in Crimea. The publication of individual dental morphological data from these rare finds is considered crucial for building a comparative database. This will enable a more comprehensive statistical analysis in the future, upon the discovery of new Hunnic burials, and will help clarify the micro-evolutionary processes associated with Hunnic migrations and their interaction with local populations.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University

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