Ritual Tooth Extraction in the Human Skeletal Remains Stored in the National Taiwan University

Abstract

The trace of ritual tooth extraction in the human skeletal remains stored in the National Taiwan University was examined. The bilateral tooth extraction which mainly focused on the canines and lateral incisors of upper jaw was observed in 16 of 17 prehistoric age human bones excavated from the Kenting-liao site located in the southernmost end of Taiwan. Moreover, in the Bunun tribe, among 46 observed skulls, the canines and lateral incisors of upper jaw were the most frequently bilaterally extracted at 28 skulls, and the bilateral tooth extraction of upper lateral incisors in 72 of 161 Tayal tribe was also observed.