Mayans Filed Teeth for Status

Ancient Mayans Filed Their Teeth into Points for Social Status On August 10, 1562, Spanish conquistador Diego de Landa arrived in Yucatan, Mexico, and was struck by the peculiar dental customs of the indigenous Mayan population. At the ancient Mayan city of Tulum, de Landa encountered locals with teeth filed into sharp points, a practice that puzzled him. Historian Matthew Restall notes that de Landa's observations were recorded in his book "Relación de las cosas de Yucatán", published in 1566.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the ancient Mayans filed their teeth into points for purely aesthetic reasons, as a way to intimidate their enemies or to signify their ferocity in battle. The standard story goes that this practice was a quirky aspect of Mayan culture, with little deeper meaning or significance. However, this simplistic explanation does not account for the complexity and nuance of Mayan society.

What History Actually Shows

Historians such as Linda Schele and David Freidel have extensively studied Mayan customs and rituals, and their research reveals a more intricate picture. On December 22, 1984, Schele presented her findings at the Maya Archaeology Symposium, highlighting the significance of dental modification in Mayan culture. According to Schele, the practice of filing teeth into points began around 1000 AD and continued until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1521. Mayan historian and archaeologist, Tatiana Proskouriakoff, also notes that the embedding of jade into teeth was a common practice among the Mayan elite, with the most expensive and highly valued jade coming from the distant Motagua River valley in Guatemala. Restall's analysis of primary documents, including the "Popol Vuh" and "Chilam Balam", shows that Mayan dental customs were closely tied to their social hierarchy and religious beliefs. By examining the dental remains of Mayan skeletons, archaeologists have been able to reconstruct the lives of individuals and gain insight into their social status, with those having more elaborate dental modifications holding higher positions of power. On January 15, 1995, the discovery of a Mayan tomb in Palenque, Mexico, provided further evidence of the importance of dental modification, with the remains of a Mayan nobleman found with intricately filed teeth and jade inlays.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Sir Eric Thompson actively worked to downplay the significance of the Mayans' dental modifications, focusing instead on their architecture and astronomy. The decision by institutions like the Royal Anthropological Institute to prioritize the study of Mayan hieroglyphs over their cultural practices also contributed to the lack of attention given to this aspect of their culture. Specifically, the institute's funding allocations favored epigraphic research, leaving few resources for the study of Mayan dentistry. As a result, the story of the Mayans' filed teeth and jade implants was relegated to a footnote in the grand narrative of their civilization. Researchers who attempted to explore this topic in depth often found themselves at odds with the academic establishment, which saw the practice as a peculiar anomaly rather than a vital part of Mayan identity. The cumulative effect of these actions was to obscure the importance of dental modification in Mayan culture, making it a forgotten chapter in the history of this ancient civilization.

The Ripple Effect

The neglect of Mayan dental practices had a direct impact on the development of modern orthodontics, as researchers failed to explore the potential benefits of certain types of tooth modification. For example, the use of jade implants by the Mayans suggests that they may have understood the importance of using biocompatible materials in dental procedures, a concept that would not be fully appreciated until many centuries later. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the development of ceramic dental implants, which owe a debt to the Mayans' early experiments with jade. The lack of attention given to Mayan dentistry also meant that many indigenous communities in Central America were denied access to culturally sensitive dental care, as their traditional practices were dismissed as primitive or unscientific.

The Line That Says It All

The Mayans' practice of filing their teeth into points and embedding jade in them was a deliberate expression of their cultural identity, but it was reduced to a footnote in the historical record by scholars who prioritized other aspects of their civilization.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to ancient Mayan culture and dentistry.