XRM imaging for non-destructive age at death estimation of the incinerated teeth from the Motya Tophet

Abstract

The study of odonto-skeletal remains of immature individuals provides important information on the cultural significance of childhood in past societies. The Tophetsi.e., distinct burial areas for infant cremated remains found in several Phoenician-Punic colonies in the Mediterranean areaoffer an ideal case study to test the potential of alternative analysis approaches on cremated remains. This study presents a non-destructive methodology based on Xray microscopy (XRM), aimed to analyze a sample of cremated deciduous teeth from the Tophet of Motya, providing information on the demographic profile and age-at-death classes of the buried individuals. The results are consistent with previous studies on remains from other Tophets and highlight the importance of using non-invasive techniques to collect and analyze data that are useful for the interpretation of burial practices reserved for newborns and infants in the Phoenician world. I.