Hypercementosis of the Magdalenian human mandibular teeth from El Mirón cave, Cantabria (Spain)

Abstract Here we present a detailed study of the aetiologic factors causing hypercementosis in the mandibular teeth of the Magdalenian human skeleton recovered from the site of El Miron cave in northern Spain. This skeleton belongs to an adult female and is referred as the “Red Lady” because the bones were stained with red ochre. The analysis of the cementum formation in the teeth of this individual is compatible with a generalized hypercementosis. We evaluate the aetiological factors traditionally considered in archaeological studies (attritional wear, periodontal disease, idiopathic and systemic disorders) and, for the first time, the abrasiveness of the diet and the cultural wear. Our findings show that systemic disorders and idiopathic factors are not possible causative agents of the generalized hypercementosis shown by the Red Lady. In contrast, we propose several factors acting together, such as attritional wear, periodontal disease, diet and cultural wear, as the most plausible explanation for this pathology in this Magdalenian individual.