An Unidentified Skeletal Assemblage from a Post-1755 Mass Grave of Lisbon: Dental Morphology and Population Affinity

Dental morphology is treated differently by different researchers. Some authors consider tooth size alone, whereas others take the shape of the tooth into account. We distinguish size from morphology because the methods of study, as well as the underlying principles for each one are distinct. Although morphology and shape have more in common than morphology and size, shape also shows noteworthy differences. Methods developed for ascertaining “tooth shape” for dental anthropological and forensic purposes have not been adopted widely, partly because they are difficult to replicate, which diminishes their utility in comparative studies. In this investigation, we focus on what forensic experts refer to as dental morphology; that is, distinct features or traits of the crowns and roots that are present or absent and, when present, exhibit variable degrees of expression. Common examples include shovel-shaped incisors, upper and lower molar cusp number, Carabelli’s cusp and three-rooted lower first molars. This study comprises 1210 disarticulated teeth, 179 jaws and 65 skulls from a skeletal assemblage of commingled remains belonging to victims of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. These remains were excavated in 2004 at the Lisbon Academy of Sciences and were analysed according to dental morphology parameters utilised by the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System to ascertain population affinity