Maya children also received jade tooth inlays, study finds

Sandee Oster
contributing writer

Gaby Clark
scientific editor

Robert Egan
associate editor

A study in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports analyzed three Maya children's teeth. These teeth exhibited jade inlays, a practice typically reported in adult Pre-Hispanic Maya teeth.
Among the Pre-Hispanic Maya, dental modifications such as filings, engravings, and inlays were a common practice during the Classic and Postclassic Periods (AD 250–AD 900; AD 900–AD 1550).
These were typically created using a lithic tool to create a dental cavity in which a shaped stone, such as jade or obsidian, could be placed. These were then sealed using an organic-based cement.
This practice has only been reported for adults, with a limited number of cases reported for individuals between 15 and 20 years of age.
However, three teeth from the Pre-Hispanic skeletal collection housed at the Francisco MarroquÃn University's Popol Vuh Museum in Guatemala, examined by Dr. Marco RamÃrez-Salomón and his colleagues were determined to belong to individuals between 8 and 9 years old and 9 and 10 years old.

These teeth, including a maxillary central left incisor, mandibular lateral left incisor, and a maxillary right canine, are the only known examples of children with dental inlays.
"Unfortunately, these teeth … are loose teeth that were donated to the Museum," explains Dr. Andrea Cucina, one of the authors of the study. "Archaeologically speaking, they are completely decontextualized, so we have no information at all on their provenance, taphonomic record, social status, etc."
While the teeth are completely decontextualized, the researchers were able to determine that the teeth likely received their inlays in life.
Only one other example of a child with dental inlays is known, a 3–4-year-old from Pusilha (Belize); however, this individual likely received their inlays only after death.
While the lack of context makes it difficult to ascertain why these children would have received dental inlays typically reserved for adults, some hypotheses can be brought forward.
When asked whether this could have been a regional phenomenon, instead of a pan-Mayan practice which may explain the rarity of such teeth inlays in children, Dr. Cucina had this to say, "This is an interesting question: given the fact that so far the archaeological record in Mesoamerica has not reported any preadolescent with inlays (very few young cases start by age 15 years), it makes me think that it might indeed be a regional, localized tradition.
"As we wrote in the paper, the absence of preadolescents sporting any form of inlays is not due to the underrepresentation of such an age category in the bioarchaeological record."
An additional hypothesis is that these individuals received dental inlays to confer a status of social maturity.
Considering all other known instances of living dental inlays were practiced on adult individuals, it is possible that the practice of receiving these inlays had something to do with transitioning into adulthood.
At around 10 years old, boys and girls began to work; housework for girls and work in the milpas for boys. Perhaps a similar transition into adulthood was denoted by the dental inlays for these child individuals.
While not much can be concluded about the reasoning behind the inlays, it was determined that they likely represent more than one individual.
Of the three teeth, one individual is estimated to have died at the age of 9–10, making that individual around a year older than the other two.
Meanwhile, the two incisors, both belonging to an 8–9-year-old, may also have belonged to two separate individuals. This possibility is based on the variation in skill when the inlay was performed.
The mandibular left lateral incisor was inlaid with the most precision and care; here, the cavity created for the jade inlay only penetrated the enamel. Meanwhile, the maxillary left central incisor's inlay went deeper; it penetrated through the enamel into the dentin layer below, though it didn't reach the pulp chamber.
It is possible that the variation in skill was the result of different craftsmen performing the inlays, which in turn may point to different individuals receiving the inlays.
These rare examples of childhood dental inlays provide new insights into Maya cultural practices, though their decontextualized nature leaves many questions about their provenance and wider cultural significance open.
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More information: Marco RamÃrez-Salomón et al, Prehispanic Maya dental inlays in teeth with open apices: Implications for age of cultural practices, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports (2025).
Journal information: Journal of Archaeological Science
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