Human Tooth

Thin section of a permanent molar from a medieval human from Denmark.The enamel of this tooth crown indicates that life in medieval Denmark was not easy.The multiple heavy lines following the contour of the tooth were created when enamel-forming cells were subjected to repeated stress associated with disease and malnutrition. Teeth are one of the best natural records of life history available to anthropologists because tooth enamel does not remodel during life and is often well preserved in archaeological contexts.

Original size 1 cm