About the Teeth Excavated from the Yokomichi-kofun

Abstract

Sixty-six human teeth excavated from protohistoric burial tomb at Yokomichi in Mine city, Yamaguchi Prefecture were examined. The following results were gained. 1. Of the 66 teeth, sixty-one were permanent teeth and five were deciduous teeth. 2. A comparison of the tooth measurements between the old mound men and the modern Japanese showed that the former's was larger than the latter's in the root length in particular. This is the same tendency as that of the men of the Yayoi age. 3. A characteristic morphology is that some of the teeth present a remarkable primitive form in comparison with those of the modern Japanese. 4. It is presumed that the 66 teeth are those of about nine individuals. The five deciduous teeth and two of the upper and lower first molars are presumed to be those of a child, three to five years old, and two individuals are presumed to be ten to fifteen years old. Remaining six individuals could not be identified. 5. The sex difference could not be determined with accuracy, but it is supposed that only two individuals are female.