Researches on the pattern of buccal dental microwear (striations) in a relation to diet and dietary habits have been solidified after the year 1980. The density of striations, orientation, and length are discriminate variables in reconstructing paleodiet. Populations who depended, more on meat consumption tended to have a lower density of striations with a higher percentage of vertical striations. On the other hand, individuals who depended on more plant consumption tended to have higher density of striations with more horizontal ones. In contrast to occlusal dental microwear, buccal microwear is practically a proxy for the lifetime diet of an individual without any effect of nonmasticatory factors, and thus can be used to construct diet, dietary behavior, climatic fluctuations, and maybe to estimate the age at death and sex. By comparing buccal dental microwear to the other techniques used in reconstructing paleodiet, the technique is reliable and shows a great potential in dietary reconstructions.

Department of Anthropology Yarmouk University Irbid Jordan

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