Enamel hypoplasia and health conditions through social status in the Roman Imperial Age (First to third centuries, Rome, Italy)

Dental enamel hypoplasia, a deficit in enamel matrix formation, occurs in childhood and in utero as a result of survived nutritional deficiencies/diseases. Examination of hypoplastic lesions in ancient skeletal remains provides an excellent index of developmental stress levels in the past. In this research, linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) was detected to investigate the relation between social status, health, and nutritional conditions of the Romans during the Imperial Age. LEH was scored in 3,105 permanent teeth of 177 individuals found in two large necropolises in Rome (Italy), dating back to first to third centuries AD. Both sites are located near the ancient city centre, and the presence of different grave typologies, with monumental mausoleums and simple tombs, testifies the presence of stratified social classes. LEH was observed in the whole dentition. Statistically significant differences were found in all the parameters considered, mostly in anterior dentition. Frequencies of the teeth and of the individuals affected were higher in the lower than in the upper class, in both sexes and ages, whereas male/female or adult/subadult differences were not statistically significant. The mean number of events for individuals was also higher in the lower class. Chronological distribution of age at onset of the stressful events seems to be social status related. The study of two subsamples with different subsistence patterns in the same population allowed us to detect a relationship between LEH and social status in Imperial Rome, indicating that the socially advantaged group enjoyed better health in this past population.