Plant microremains in dental calculus as a record of plant consumption: A test with Twe forager-horticulturalists

Starch granules and phytoliths trapped in dental calculus preserve a record of plant consumption. Analysis of these microscopic plant remains has increased in popularity in recent years, providing information on diet that complements dental microwear and stable isotope studies. However, it is unclear how accurately these microremains reflect plant consumption. This study examines how well starch granules and phytoliths in dental calculus from a living population (the Twe) with a well-documented diet capture the range and intensity of plant consumption. We find that plant microremains are a poor predictor of plant consumption on an individual level, but may provide a good signal of plant consumption across a population, as well as evidence for plant processing in the mouth. This is the first study to test how well plant microremains in dental calculus reflect plant consumption in a population with a known diet. Results from this project have implications for interpreting plant microremain data from archaeological dental calculus samples.