Dental disease reflects differential diets and changes in consumption over time at Knossos

Abstract Knossos was an important city on Crete and within Mediterranean networks during the Hellenistic, Roman, Late Antique periods. However, there were significant social, cultural, economic shifts that appear to have caused changes daily lifeways, including diet. This paper sets out explore dietary across these time periods by looking at dental caries, with reference also antemortem tooth loss, calculus, stable isotope data. study looks contextualize results using archaeological textual information relating It presents a thorough methodological approach investigation interpretation of caries discusses some shortcomings fragmentary commingled skeletal assemblage. The Roman diet more cariogenic than in Hellenistic or caries‐zone analysis teeth suggests may been greater addition sugars period, though increased could be due improved preparation techniques technologies producing refined sticky carbohydrate Such either connectivity making certain foods readily available, cultural food consumption hygiene influx merchants, colonists, migrants, other newcomers Colonia Iulia Nobilis Cnosus Knossos, prosperity site this period. There difference detected between females males for indicating differential practices sexes, which most notable