Perevozchikova A.A., Goncharova N.N., Berezina N.Ya. Dental Pathology in the North Caucasus Population from the Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages (Zayukovo-3 Burial Ground Materials)
Alla A. Perevozchikova, Postgraduate Student, Department of Anthropology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory St, 1, Bld. 12, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation; Researcher, Senior Specialist, Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Mokhovaya St, 11, Bld. 1, 119019 Moscow, Russian Federation
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Natalya N. Goncharova, Candidate of Sciences (Biology), Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory St, 1, Bld. 12, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation
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Natalia Ya. Berezina, Candidate of Sciences (Biology), Senior Researcher, Senior Specialist, Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Mokhovaya St, 11, Bld. 1, 119019 Moscow, Russian Federation
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Abstract. The article presents the results of a comprehensive study of dental and maxillofacial pathologies in the population of the North Caucasus who lived from the Early Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages (10th century BC to 9th century AD). The research material was derived from paleoanthropological collections of the Zayukovo-3 burial site (Kabardino-Balkaria Republic). The burials of the studied individuals belong to the Western Koban culture (7th – 5th centuries BC), the Sarmatian period (Podkumok-Khumara cultural group, 1st – 3rd centuries AD), and the Alanian era (5th – 7th centuries AD). In this study, an adapted version of M. Schultz’s methodology was used to analyze the frequencies of caries, apical periodontitis, enamel hypoplasia, dental calculus, antemortem enamel chipping, and the degree of dental wear. Significant differences were found in the dental and maxillofacial conditions among representatives of different archaeological cultures. Individuals associated with the Koban culture exhibited pronounced dental wear and a low prevalence of caries, suggesting a balanced diet dominated by meat and dairy products. During the Sarmatian period, an increase in caries and dental calculus was observed, which may be linked to dietary changes, possibly involving greater consumption of high-carbohydrate foods. The Alanic period was characterized by severe dental wear, an increased frequency of enamel hypoplasia, and traumatic dental injuries, indicating a decline in living conditions and overall population health.
Key words: physical anthropology, dental pathology, physiological stress markers, paleo diet, North Caucasus, Early Iron Age, Early Middle Ages.
Citation. Perevozchikova A.A., Goncharova N.N., Berezina N.Ya., 2026. Patologiya zubochelyustnoy sistemy naseleniya Severnogo Kavkaza ot zheleznogo veka do rannego srednevekov’ya (po materialam mogil’nika Zayukovo-3) [Dental Pathology in the North Caucasus Population from the Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages (Zayukovo-3 Burial Ground Materials)]. Nizhnevolzhskiy Arkheologicheskiy Vestnik [The Lower Volga Archaeological Bulletin], vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 82-99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/nav.jvolsu.2026.1.4
Dental Pathology in the North Caucasus Population from the Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages (Zayukovo-3 Burial Ground Materials) by Perevozchikova A.A., Goncharova N.N., Berezina N.Ya. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
