The current study employs dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) to discern dietary differences between groups of archaeologically derived pastoralists and agriculturists. The study followed standard DMTA methods and is part of an ongoing research effort called the DENTALWEAR project, which is a global survey of microwear texture in ancient humans. The texture variables studied herein were complexity (Asfc), anisotropy (epLsar), and textural fill volume. The study found statistically significant differences between the pastoralists and agriculturists for all three variables; as predicted, the pastoralists had lower values. In addition to demonstrating the efficacy of DMTA for dietary study in ancient humans, this study supports models indicating mitigated microwear texture values for populations thought to have consumed high levels of meat.

Objectives The current study seeks to determine if a sample of foragers, farmers, and pastoralists are distinguishable based on their dental microwear texture signatures. Materials and methods The study included a sample of 719 individuals from 51 archeological sites (450 farmers, 192 foragers, 77 pastoralists). All were over age 12 and sexes were pooled. Using a Sensofar® white‐light confocal profiler we collected dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) data from a single first or second molar from each individual. We leveled and cleaned data clouds following standard procedures and analyzed the data with Sfrax® and Toothfrax® software. The DMTA variables were complexity and anisotropy. Statistics included ANOVA with partial eta squared and Hedges's g. We also performed a follow‐up K‐means cluster analysis. Results We found significant differences between foragers and farmers and pastoralists for complexity and anisotropy, with foragers having greater complexity than either the farmers or the pastoralists. The farmers and pastoralists had greater anisotropy than the foragers. The Old World foragers had significantly higher anisotropy values than New World foragers. Old and New World farmers did not differ. Among the Old World farmers, those dating from the Neolithic through the Late Bronze Age had higher complexity values than those from the Iron Age through the medieval period. The cluster analysis discerned foragers and farmers but also indicated similarity between hard food foragers and hard food farmers. Discussion Our findings reaffirm that DMTA is capable of distinguishing human diets. We found that foragers and farmers, in particular, differ in their microwear signatures across the globe. There are some exceptions, but nothing that would be unexpected given the range of human diets and food preparation techniques. This study indicates that in general DMTA is an efficacious means of paleodietary reconstruction in humans.

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2016-12-23T18:44:59