A kingdom with blackened teeth 2,000 years ago
Tracing the practice of tooth blackening in ancient Vietnam
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7472156 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yue Zhang (0000-0003-1198-882X, Australian National University, corresponding author), Yu-Shiang Wang (Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, corresponding author), Viet Nguyen (0000-0002-4741-1048), V Q Nguyen (Center for Southeast Asian Studies), Yoshiyuki Iizuka (0000-0002-7327-7583, Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, corresponding author), Hsiao-Chun Hung (0000-0001-5794-3040, Australian National University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1866-9557 • E-ISSN: 1866-9565 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12520-025-02366-5 |
| OpenAlex | W7125416408 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 33 |
Tooth blackening, the deliberate modification of teeth to achieve a lustrous black appearance, is well documented in modern Vietnam, but its ancient practice remains elusive. This study applies chemical analyses to Iron Age human teeth from the Dong Xa site in northern Vietnam, dated to approximately 2000 years ago. By integrating compositional results with ethnographic parallels and experimental controls, we identify a diagnostic signature of tooth blackening in ancient samples, pointing to iron salts, likely combined with tannin-rich substances, as the primary active components responsible for the coloring process. This research clarifies both the antiquity and the distinctive techniques of tooth blackening in Vietnam, establishing a non-destructive methodological framework for archaeologically identifying such practices. From its emergence at sites associated with the renowned Dong Son bronze culture, through its continuity in later historical accounts and recent memories, tooth blackening underscores a culturally embedded expression of identity within wider networks of interregional interaction and exchange
Bronze · Bronze Age · Ethnography · Expression (computer science · Identity (music · Parallels · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
The Languages and Linguistics of Mainland Southeast Asia
The Languages of Mainland Southeast Asia
The prehistoric peopling of Southeast Asia
Ancient genomes document multiple waves of migration in Southeast Asian prehistory
Dental Morphology of the Early Hoabinian, the Neolithic Da But and the Metal Age Dong Son Civilized Peoples in Vietnam.
An Overview on Betel Quid and Areca Nut Practice and Control in Selected Asian and South East Asian Countries
Earliest direct evidence of bronze age betel nut use
Coloration dentaire des Annamites
The Ethnobotany of Teeth Blackening in Southeast Asia
To Strengthen the Teeth and Harden the Gums - Teeth blackening as medical practice in Asia, Micronesia and Melanesia
Betel Nut Chewing in Iron Age Vietnam? Detection of Areca catechu Alkaloids in Dental Enamel
La bouche et les dents dans les coutumes malgaches
Bodies in transition
Ancient Boats, Boat Timbers, and Locked Mortise‐and‐Tenon Joints from Bronze/Iron‐Age Northern Vietnam
Identification of (Betel Nut) Residues on the Dentitions of Bronze Age Inhabitants of Nui Nap, Northern Vietnam
The Dong Xa Shroud
The IntCal20 Northern Hemisphere Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curve (0–55 cal kBP)
Patterns of molar wear in hunter–gatherers and agriculturalists
Contribution à l'étude anthropologique de l'Annamite Tonkinois
Le Laquage des Dents chez les Annamites
Le laquage des Dents en noir chez les Annamites
A propos des dents noires des Annamites et de la chique de bétel
"Cutting Old Life into New." Teeth Blackening in Western Amazonia
Betel-Chewing in Vietnam. Its Past and Current Importance
Co Loa
A Possible Benefit from Tooth-Blackening1
The Study of Boundaries in the Social Sciences
| Highly cited | No |
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