Pics of the peeps

This photo gives a pretty good idea of the preservation of the skeletal remains here in Lexington. From left to right, age at death is approximately 18 months old (incomplete deciduous dentition), 3 years old (all deciduous dentition), 8 years old (first adult molars and incisors erupted), and adult (complete eruption, substantial wear). On the adult jaw you can also see the "double dip" chin that's very prevalent in this population, particularly among males.

Typically, for younger individuals, only mandibles are preserved. Even for adolescents, most crania are reconstructions undertaken by the original excavators over 50 years ago. It's only when I get to adults that I find a significant percentage of skulls and mandibles in good condition, with little or no reconstruction.

Since part of my project is a study of the growth sequence of robust features from infancy to adulthood, this presents a bit of a challenge (for the cranium in particular). But really, there's nothing to do but take good data, take good notes, and figure out what's possible when I get back to Davis.