Oral Health and Dietary Practices in the Shangshihe Guo State Cemetery: Social Stratification During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty of Ancient China

ABSTRACT Dietary differences across social strata have a direct impact on the oral health of a population. This research explores the relationship between oral health, diet, and social stratification in the Guo State (虢) during the Spring‐Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771–476 bce ). A total of 887 teeth and 1213 alveoli from 57 individuals in the Shangshihe Cemetery in Yima County, Henan Province, China were included in this study. Dental wear severity and the prevalence of dental caries, dental calculus, periapical lesions, antemortem tooth loss (AMTL), linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH), temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ‐OA), and periodontal disease were analyzed and integrated with previously recorded isotope data. Our results revealed oral health and dietary differences related to social class, age, and sex at Shangshihe. First, as social class declined, there was an increase in dental wear severity and a significant increase in LEH prevalence associated with coarser diets and lower protein consumption. A gradual decline in the proportion of middle‐aged individuals was observed as social class decreased. Second, for the commoner class, an increase in protein intake for middle adults compared to their young adult counterparts suggests age‐based privileges that transcended typical class barriers. Lastly, pronounced sex‐based differences in oral pathologies emerged for the commoner class under conditions of resource disparity. Males had a more protein‐rich diet, potentially contributing to the significantly higher prevalence of dental calculus and PD observed in male commoners. These findings align with historical documents demonstrating how the social, age‐related, and gendered hierarchies of the Eastern Zhou were materially manifested through oral health and diet.