T: I

Occlusal surface wear Assessment of occlusal surface wear in the Tutu series suggests that the dentitions of these individuals were exposed to a high wear environment. That is, all mature adults show generally advanced occlusal wear (Table 8.4). On the other hand, the sample contains relatively few younger adults and deciduous teeth do not show excessive wear, which would be expected in a high wear environment. One individual, Burial 38, an older adult male, has a mandibular molar that is tilted lingually to a point at which the superior, buccal aspect of the roots was incorporated into the occlusal wear plane of the tooth. This characteristic has been found in populations with excessive wear (see Larsen, 1997).