The oral pathological conditions of the Broken Hill (Kabwe) 1 cranium

The Broken Hill (Kabwe) 1 cranium exhibits dental caries on ten teeth, multiple periapical lesions, periodontal disease, severe anterior dental wear, and hypercementosis, conditions all little-studied in Middle Pleistocene humans and making Broken Hill 1 of great value to discussions of the antiquity of oral pathological conditions. These individual pathological conditions, however, have never previously been described in detail; the focus has been on diagnosing an overarching syndrome connecting the temporal and oral lesions. This case study examines the individual dentoalveolar pathological conditions to provide data for cross-comparison using ordinal scores (e.g., carious lesions, interdental septum condition), descriptions (e.g., hypercementosis, periapical lesions), and continuous measurements (cemento-enamel junction to alveolar crest distances). Differential diagnoses are explored including age-related hyposalivation, dental wear, lead poisoning, and diet, and are discussed within the context of past published attempts. Studies on recent humans have demonstrated correlations between oral disease, systemic health, and diet, suggesting Broken Hill 1 likely suffered from larger systemic inflammation related to its age, health, and perhaps subsistence.