FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A / Origins of equine dentistry.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2018; 115(29); E6707-E6715; doi: 10.1073/pnas.1721189115

Origins of equine dentistry.

Abstract: From the American West to the steppes of Eurasia, the domestic horse transformed human societies, providing rapid transport, communication, and military power, and serving as an important subsistence animal. Because of the importance of oral equipment for horse riding, dentistry is an essential component of modern horse care. In the open grasslands of northeast Asia, horses remain the primary form of transport for many herders. Although free-range grazing on gritty forage mitigates many equine dental issues, contemporary Mongolian horsemen nonetheless practice some forms of dentistry, including the removal of problematic deciduous teeth and the vestigial first premolar ("wolf tooth"). Here, we present archaezoological data from equine skeletal remains spanning the past 3,200 y, indicating that nomadic dental practices have great antiquity. Anthropogenic modifications to malerupted deciduous central incisors in young horses from the Late Bronze Age demonstrate their attempted removal, coinciding with the local innovation or adoption of horseback riding and the florescence of Mongolian pastoral society. Horse specimens from this period show no evidence of first premolar removal, which we first identify in specimens dating to ca. 750 BCE. The onset of premolar extraction parallels the archaeological appearance of jointed bronze and iron bits, suggesting that this technological shift prompted innovations in dentistry that improved horse health and horse control. These discoveries provide the earliest directly dated evidence for veterinary dentistry, and suggest that innovations in equine care by nomadic peoples ca. 1150 BCE enabled the use of horses for increasingly sophisticated mounted riding and warfare.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2018-07-02 PubMed ID: 29967157PubMed Central: PMC6055167DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721189115Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Historical Article
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support
  • U.S. Gov't
  • Non-P.H.S.

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research paper investigates the origins of equine dentistry, noting its importance in the maintenance and advancement of societies that relied heavily on horses for transport and subsistence. The findings reveal evidence of basic dental practices in horses dating back to 3,200 years ago, suggesting that early veterinary dentistry may have allowed for more sophisticated horse riding and warfare strategies.

Importance of Equine Dentistry

  • Equine dentistry has been critical for societies relying on horses for transport, communication, military power, and subsistence.
  • Modern horse care largely involves dentistry, as dental health is vital for the functioning of oral equipment used in horse riding.

Mongolian Horse Care and Dentistry

  • In the grasslands of northeast Asia, horses remain crucial for many herders’ transportations, necessitating some form of dental care.
  • Practices include the removal of problematic deciduous teeth and the vestigial first premolar, often referred to as the “wolf tooth”.

Archeozoological Evidence of Ancient Equine Dentistry

  • Findings from equine skeletal remains provide evidence that dental practices among nomads date back to over 3,200 years ago.
  • Modifications to malerupted deciduous central incisors in young horses from the Late Bronze Age suggest an attempted removal, coinciding with the local innovation or adoption of horseback riding.
  • No evidence of first premolar removal was found in horse specimens from this period. The practice was first identified in specimens dating back to approximately 750 BCE.

The Correlation Between Veterinary Dentistry and Technological Advancements

  • The emergence of first premolar extraction coincides with the archaeological appearance of jointed bronze and iron bits, implying that this technological progression may have prompted innovations in equine dentistry.
  • Such dental care improvements would have been crucial in enhancing horse health and control, allowing for more advanced mounted riding and warfare techniques.
  • The study provides the earliest directly dated evidence for veterinary dentistry, reinforcing the idea that prescient equine care was essential for the advancement of societies that heavily relied on horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Taylor WTT, Bayarsaikhan J, Tuvshinjargal T, Bender S, Tromp M, Clark J, Lowry KB, Houle JL, Staszewski D, Whitworth J, Fitzhugh W, Boivin N. (2018). Origins of equine dentistry. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 115(29), E6707-E6715. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1721189115

Publication

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
ISSN: 1091-6490
NlmUniqueID: 7505876
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 115
Issue: 29
Pages: E6707-E6715

Researcher Affiliations

Taylor, William Timothy Treal
  • Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany; taylor@shh.mpg.de.
Bayarsaikhan, Jamsranjav
  • National Museum of Mongolia, 21046 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Tuvshinjargal, Tumurbaatar
  • National Museum of Mongolia, 21046 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Bender, Scott
  • Navajo Technical University, Crownpoint, NM 87313.
Tromp, Monica
  • Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany.
Clark, Julia
  • American Center for Mongolian Studies, 15160 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Lowry, K Bryce
  • Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637.
Houle, Jean-Luc
  • Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101.
Staszewski, Dimitri
  • Private address, Philadelphia, PA 19146.
Whitworth, Jocelyn
  • Clearview Animal Hospital, Colorado Springs, CO 80911.
Fitzhugh, William
  • Arctic Studies Center, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560.
Boivin, Nicole
  • Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, 07745 Jena, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Dentistry / veterinary
  • Domestication
  • History of Dentistry
  • History, Ancient
  • Horses
  • Humans

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

This article includes 53 references
  1. Outram AK. The earliest horse harnessing and milking. Science 2009;323:1332–1335.
    pubmed: 19265018
  2. Olsen S. The role of humans in horse distribution through time. Wild Equids: Ecology, Management, and Conservation 2017; pp 105–120.
  3. Bold B-O. Eques Mongolica: Introduction to Mongolian Horsemanship. 2012.
  4. Rogers JD. Inner Asian states and empires: Theories and synthesis. J Archaeol Res 2012;20:205–256.
  5. Allard F, Erdenebaatar D. Khirigsuurs, ritual and mobility in the Bronze Age of Mongolia. Antiquity 2005;79:547–563.
  6. Fitzhugh WW. The Mongolian deer stone–khirigsuur complex: Dating and organization of a Late Bronze Age menagerie. Current Archaeological Research in Mongolia 2009; pp. 183–199.
  7. Taylor WTT. A Bayesian chronology for early domestic horse use in the Eastern Steppe. J Archaeol Sci 2017;81:49–58.
  8. Taylor WTT, Bayarsaikhan J, Tuvshinjargal T. Equine cranial morphology and the identification of riding and chariotry in Late Bronze Age Mongolia. Antiquity 2015;89:854–871.
  9. Taylor WTT, Tuvshinjargal T. Horseback riding, asymmetry, and changes to the equine skull: Evidence for mounted riding in Mongolia’s Late Bronze Age. Care or Neglect?: Evidence of Animal Disease in Archaeology 2018; pp. 134–154.
  10. Beardsley RK. Hypotheses on inner Asian pastoral nomadism and its culture area. Mem Soc Am Archaeol 1953:24–28.
  11. Donaghy T. The origins of equine medicine. J Vet Hist Soc 2010;15:227–248.
  12. Linduff KM. A walk on the wild side: Late Shang appropriation of horses in China. Prehistoric Steppe Adaptation and the Horse 2003; pp. 139–162.
  13. Gazagnadou D. The Diffusion of a Postal Relay System in Premodern Eurasia. 2016.
  14. Cooke B. Imperial China: The Art of the Horse in Chinese History: Exhibition Catalog. 2000.
  15. Meserve RI. Chinese hippology and hippiatry: Government bureaucracy and inner Asian influence. Z Dtsch Morgenl Ges 1998;148:277–314.
  16. Bartosiewicz L. Taphonomy and disease prevalence in animal palaeopathology: The proverbial “veterinary horse.”. Care or Neglect?: Evidence of Animal Disease in Archaeology 2018; pp 185–207.
  17. Mitchell P. The Donkey in Human History. 2018.
  18. Bartosiewicz L, Gal E. Shuffling Nags, Lame Ducks: The Archaeology of Animal Disease. 2013.
  19. Raulwing P, Clutton-Brock J. The Buhen horse: Fifty years after its discovery (1958–2008). J Egypt Hist 2009;2:1–106.
  20. Anthony DW, Brown DR. Eneolithic horse rituals and riding in the steppes: New evidence. Prehistoric Steppe Adaptation and the Horse 2003; pp. 55–68.
  21. Easley K. Veterinary dentistry: Its origin and recent history. J Hist Dent 1999;47:83–85.
    pubmed: 10686917
  22. Fahrenkrug P. The history and future of equine dental care. Proceedings of the North American Veterinary Conference 2005; pp. 151–154.
  23. Cross PJ. Where have all the mares gone? Sex and “gender” related pathology in archaeological horses: Clues to horse husbandry and use practices. Care or Neglect?: Evidence of Animal Disease in Archaeology 2018; pp. 155–175.
  24. Viranta S, Mannermaa K. A tall rostral hook in a medieval horse premolar tooth. Int J Paleopathol 2017;17:79–81.
    pubmed: 28521915
  25. Griffin C. Routine dentistry in juvenile performance horses. Comp Equine 2009;4:402–415.
  26. Griffin C. An extraction of the first premolar teeth. Comp Equine 2009;4:68–76.
  27. Hole SL. Wolf teeth and their extraction. Equine Vet Educ 2016;28:344–351.
  28. Stazewski D. A haircut for Mongolia’s half-wild horses. The Diplomat June 23, 2016.
  29. Bendrey R. Identification of metal residues associated with bit-use on prehistoric horse teeth by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. J Archaeol Sci 2011;38:2989–2994.
  30. Bendrey R. New methods for the identification of evidence for bitting on horse remains from archaeological sites. J Archaeol Sci 2007;34:1036–1050.
  31. Bokovenko NA. The origins of horse riding and the development of ancient Central Asian nomadic riding harnesses. Kurgans, Ritual Sites, and Settlements: Eurasian Bronze and Iron Age 2000; pp. 304–310.
  32. Drews R. Early Riders: The Beginnings of Mounted Warfare in Asia and Europe. 2004.
  33. Honeychurch W. Inner Asia and the Spatial Politics of Empire: Archaeology, Mobility, and Culture Contact. 2015.
  34. Pence P. Equine Dentistry: A Practical Guide. 2008.
  35. Rawlinson J, Carmalt JL. Extraction techniques for equine incisor and canine teeth. Equine Vet Educ 2014;26:657–671.
  36. Wright J. The honest labour of stone mounds: Monuments of Bronze and Iron Age Mongolia as costly signals. World Archaeol 2017;49:547–567.
  37. Turbat T, Amartuvshin C, Erdenebat U. [Egiin Golyn Sav Nutag Dakh’ Arkheologiin Dursgaluud]. 2003.
  38. Taylor WTT, Tuvshinjargal T, Bayarsaikhan J. Reconstructing equine bridles in the Mongolian Bronze Age. J Ethnobiol 2016;36:554–570.
  39. Sanjmyatav T. [Arkhangai Aimag Nutag Dakhi Ertnii Tuukh Soyoliin Dursgal]. 1993.
  40. Batsaikhan Ts, Bataarsuren Ch. [Morin Soyoliin Tonog Heregsel]. 2015.
  41. Wagner M. Radiocarbon-dated archaeological record of early first millennium B.C. mounted pastoralists in the Kunlun Mountains, China. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011;108:15733–15738.
    pmc: PMC3179056pubmed: 21911387
  42. Zaitseva GI. Chronology of key barrows belonging to different stages of the Scythian period in Tuva (Arzhan-1 and Arzhan-2 barrows). Radiocarbon 2007;49:645–658.
  43. Fitzhugh WW. Stone Shamans and flying deer of northern Mongolia: Deer goddess of Siberia or chimera of the steppe?. Arctic Anthropol 2009;46:72–88.
  44. Clutton-Brock J. The Buhen horse. J Archaeol Sci 1974;1:89–100.
  45. Sasada Y. An alternative theory for ‘bit wear’ found on the lower second premolar of the Buhen horse. Chasing Chariots: Proceedings of the First International Chariot Conference 2013; pp. 229–236.
  46. Janssens L. A new look at an old dog: Bonn-Oberkassel reconsidered. J Archaeol Sci 2018;92:126–138.
  47. Ramirez Rozzi F, Froment A. Earliest animal cranial surgery: From cow to man in the Neolithic. Sci Rep 2018;8:5536.
    pmc: PMC5908843pubmed: 29674628
  48. Kelekna P. The Horse in Human History. 2009.
  49. Dietz UL. Horseback riding: Man’s access to speed. Prehistoric Steppe Adaptation and the Horse 2003; pp. 189–199.
  50. Littauer MA. Bits and pieces. Antiquity 1969;43:289–300.
  51. Evans P, Jack N, King D, Jones S. Aging Horses by Their Teeth. 2007.
  52. Academy of Equine Dentistry. Teeth of the Horse-Chart for Accurately Telling the Age from Six Months to Twenty-Nine Years. 2013.
  53. Levine MA. The use of crown height measurements and eruption-wear sequences to age horse teeth. Ageing and Sexing Animal Bones from Archaeological Sites 1982; pp. 223–249.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,359 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.