Bioarchaeology of the Near East, 18:25-37 (2024)

A brief note on the frequency of maxillary molar cuspules in Southwest Asia

Nina Maaranen
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, Bournemouth University,
Fern Barrow, Wallisdown, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
email: nina.maaranen@gmail.com

Abstract: While many of the traits selected to the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System can be scored despite slight to moderate wear on the tooth surface, small features on occlusal morphology become unobservable even at lower wear grades, often becoming absent in studies accessing archaeological assemblages. This includes many accessory maxillary molar cuspules which can provide means to investigate phylogenetic origins as well as microevolutionary adaptations.

Using terminology provided in a previous study, a sample from SW Asia is presented here to generate a more complete global frequency of traits. Dental nonmetric traits were recorded from an archaeological population in Sidon (n=44), Lebanon, dating to the Middle Bronze Age (circa 2000–1500 BCE).

Overall, the presence of accessory cuspules was highly prevalent in the Sidon assemblage. Molar occlusal surface complexity, as measured through the presence of cuspules, decreased from the first to the second molar, following the inhibitory cascade model. The Sidon individuals had some similarities with other populations but none followed the same overall prevalence rate, thus providing a useful reference to SW Asian populations for global comparisons.

Key words: Sidon; dental nonmetric trait

https://doi.org/10.47888/bne-1802 | Received 7 February 2024; accepted 14 March 2025; published online 19 October 2025.

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