How did ancient humans sharpen their teeth?

Question

Human teeth sharpening

Answer 1

I have not seen any sharpened teeth on  ancient skulls-at least here in the UK. You find the teeth do tend to be quite worn down because of particles of grit that had entered the person's food during their life.

  Other than that--contrary to popular belief,the teeth in prehistoric skulls are NOT particularly bad in condition! There are relatively FEW with significant decay/tooth loss until you get to the era of the Middle Ages (roughly). However,other dental problems such as tooth absesses were rife and could be fatal.

Answer 2

Rocks and semi-serrated edge instruments. Some tribes of humans still do - particularly in New Guinea and Micronesia.

Answer 3

The evidence shows that ancient homo sapiens did not sharpen their teeth, or at least a lot of them didn't. In fact, many of them had rotted out teeth by adulthood (especially after agriculture got started). More distant human ancestors, not sure. Some of them were vegetarians, I know. What I've read about wear patterns and such, I've never heard about deliberate tooth sharpening. Do people even do that now?

Answer 4

Thin you are speaking about filing the teeth to points (see link below for a picture)

Variations of the practice is still done in certain regions of the planet. Bali is one example. In Bali it is a rite of passage to adulthood where only the incisors are filed. There a file, carver and chisel are used.

I have seen in the Smithsonian Mayan skulls with teeth that have turquoise inlaid in them.

Most often the modification of teeth was a rite of passage or to cause the elite to appear different from commoners. I suspect the image of primitives with filed teeth owes a great deal to novels and poor movies.

Just to add, the procedure is painful and permanent.

It should be noted that most ancient teeth show major wear. As example, when grain was ground, the stone dust quickly worn teeth down to the gums.Filing them would simple icrease the tooth wear and inability to bite anything.

Answer 5

knawing on bones. no knives and forks then.