How and why the ancient Mayans decorated their teeth with precious stones (4 photos)

The ancient Mayans appear to have decorated their teeth with precious stones - This is evidenced by this find made in Mexico. So modern fashion (and there is such a thing!) is not modern know-how, but “good forgotten old."





The funny thing is that scientists are sure that precious stones are Mayan teeth were not a sign of any special status or wealth, it was just... a tribute to fashion.

In a certain period (and the age of the found skull is from decorated teeth is estimated to be approximately 1.5-2.5 thousand years old) just it was possible to decorate teeth in this way.

In addition, it was then customary to decorate teeth in various ways. designs in the form of simple notches and grooves. At the same time, judging by the found remains, men were more likely to do this, although female skulls with decorated teeth, of course, are among the finds.



Nowadays, women are more active than men in decorating their teeth with stones - it’s fashion, what can you do...

Nor was it some kind of local fashion - evidence the spread of such a fashion (that is, skulls with decorated teeth) finds throughout the entire so-called Mesoamerica, that is, from the central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua.

It turns out that the ancient inhabitants of these places had relevant specialists, something like modern dentists - they and “did teeth” for local fashionistas.

This whole topic was studied in detail not so long ago, by the way - thanks to new discoveries. The skull from the title picture, for example, was found this year - the skeleton is named "Woman from Tlayotlacan" in honor the area where it was discovered, it is approximately 50 kilometers from Mexico City. The findings are being researched by the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History.



The denture is a real Indian false tooth!

Scientists admit they can't say anything about who they were people with decorated teeth, but they know exactly what, say, their members The royal family of the same time had quite ordinary teeth. From this and it is concluded that we are talking about fashion trends and nothing more.

But it is known that the teeth of the local residents at that time They were also engaged for medical purposes. Scientists talk about what they found dentures, for example (i.e. false teeth), or simple “dental instruments” - say, a stone drill made of obsidian. AND they didn’t just drill teeth, but knew how to do it so as not to harm "client".

Scientists are also confident that the “dentists” used something like anesthetics to dull the pain.



These “drills,” for example, were used by American dentists 2 thousand years ago

This “anesthesia” was apparently made from herbs with the appropriate properties. The glue also had a plant base, with the help of which precious stones were glued to the teeth. The glue was made from natural resins and plant juice, mixing them with various additives, say, crushed bones.

Often a special recess was made under the stone in the tooth - with using the same drills, apparently. Well, what, beauty, as you know, requires victims.