New insight into prehistoric craft specialisation. Tooth-tool use in the Chalcolithic burial site of Camino del Molino, Murcia, SE Spain

Abstract

The use of dentition as a tool is well documented in archaeological collections and present-day populations. This paper analyses extra-masticatory wear in the dentition of a sample of articulated skeletons from Camino del Molino, a collective tomb that housed 1348 individuals throughout two contiguous phases spanning much of the 3rd millennium BC. A microscopic analysis has been carried out on the maxillae of five individuals, and macroscopically compatible markings have been recorded in three additional individuals. In all cases, the maxillary anterior dentition displays evidence that can be defined as occlusal and interproximal grooves consisting of fine, parallel striations, as well as labial notches and chipping of the enamel. The results suggest that eight individuals, mostly women, used their dentition in craft tasks, such as in the processing of fibres for textile production, hence representing the earliest evidence of craft specialisation in the Iberian Peninsula and proof of a possible sex-based division of labour in a Chalcolithic community.

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