The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-03-16
MEXICAN INDIAN INDUSTRY.
Teeth Cut Bsar-Trap Fashion and Pllsse!
Literally With Iron.


Mr. leopold Batres, National Cur
rtOr Of Mexican Antiquities. has made
IN interesting present to his friend.
Dr.. Howe, the dentist.
1t consists of some articles discov-
cred in the tombs Of Militia. The artl-
cles i'll question are portion OF Il
skull, Il glass bead. 4 little copper bell,
just like those which ere at this day
tied about the necks Of kittens, and an
upper left bicuspid tooth with q circu-
lar incrustation Of pyrites Of iron IN
front, all from the sane skeleton.
1t is 10 new fact that some of the
aboriginal peoples Of Mexico wore Or
1laments Or incrustations in their
teeth. Lie. Alfredo Chayero possessed
Il front tooth taken from 4 tomb at
Paenpuc. in the middle Of which q
green stone is set. Sometimes the ill.,
cruStationS were of gold, and the IL
crustatiOns Of iron pyrites, when they
We're new and the sulphur in them
was fresh, undoubtedly shone like
gold.
There is reason to suppose that only
the eight front upper teeth we're i'll
crusteu. at any rate as Z rule. for il
second bicuSpid given by Mr.. Batrcs
to DR.. Rojo, the young Mexican DEN
fist, in DR.. UOwe's Office. and also ia
ken from the Militia tomb is without
any such incruStation. On the other
hand, a canine, given by Mr.. Hatres to
DR.. Rojo, has the incrustation, and
.,I- -,
nlentS were made during life and
not after death. The present cOnGi-
ton Of the tooth shows that the III
crustation had reached the mere cay
ity and destroyed the life of the tooth
a process that argues life in the sub
jcct. as decay of the teeth does moi
occur after death, the microbes or or
with the Individual.
AS to the object and significance OF
| these incrustations, they are matter
| Of conjecture. They may have beef
| affected by all who could afford them
| of they may have been Il distinction
| mark of some rank or caste. Whas i:
! evident from the specimen possessed
| " Ii. lAtJo Is tIdL ll.uSt ltt
| caused suffering to those who uset
| them. and. therefore. it is 10 be i'll
| ferred that the fashion OF custom
which prescribed them must have hat
a strong social or religious sanction.
| Another custom revealed By tn
teeth found in these prehistoric tOmb
is that of notching the teeth SO rs t.
form dove-tailing indentations. Eacl
contiguous pair of upper front teetl
were notched for a certain diStaDc
| upward and sideways, so as to bear
resemblance to battlcments turned UP
| side down. The lower teeth were al
ternafely cut off and left of their mai
ural size. SO as to fit in with tn
notches above. In other words,
lower tooth situated below a cavit
above was left of its original size, an
the adjoining tooth was cut off TO
some distance. OF course, the uppe
and lower teeth thus treated woul
not meet at once. but it is a fact we
known to dentists that il an uppe
tooth is cut off, the corresponding low
or tooth will gradually grow up to j
| dlu. vice versa, IL Il lower lOOtu
sawed Off. the corresponding uppe
tooth will grow down to it. Therefor;
in course of time, the notched teet
of these prehistoric Indians fitted int
one another exactly, and must hay
given them peculiarly firm grip VI
on anything they got between the
teeth.
The fragment of skull which D
Howe has, as well as the tooth, is co
, ored red, which must have resulte
from their being dipped in mercur.
This was naturally post mortem o.
1 Grafton.
The cavity in the tooth in which Il
incrustation of iron pyrites is inserte
} lit is loose now and easily comes GU
is perfectly circular and symmetrica
1t argues good instruments and ski
J full workmanship. The instrumen
used We're of tempered copper, the Il
, of producing which has been lost.
The little bell taken from the tom
, | and which is also one of DR., Howe
] valued possessions. is green, Of cours
, but it is otherwise in perfect nreserv
! ton. and it tink!es just as aud!bly
It did VIXEN deposited Ia tho tor
!. thousands Of years ago. by ! r.se
'asop!t sass aas 7ss!sled, ~.,..<.,.,..