According to the anthropologists quoted in the article, why did Viking men modify their teeth?
Given that Vikings took a lot of pride in their looks, it is most likely that teeth filling was practiced in order to improve one’s appearance or looks. A man with filled teeth would be considered as highly good looking. Alternatively, the Vikings may have acquired or adopted the practice from other communities they met on their travels. It is possible that other communities or tribes in other places such as ancient North America may have been practicing teeth filling long before the Vikings started filling their teeth. Teeth filling among Vikings may as well have been a form of social identification. Men who accomplished specific tasks, reached certain ages, or achieved something great would have their teeth filled.
What inferences can you make about the social structure of Viking society based on the evidence of teeth modification among Viking men?
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All the skeletons analyzed belonged to men, which means that such prestigious practice was only preserved for men. This clearly suggests that Men were considered superior to women in the Norse culture. Teeth filling was undoubtedly important in the Viking society during that period, and the fact that women did not have their teeth filled implies that they were not as important as men.
Explain how the concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism help anthropologists interpret the Viking custom of filing teeth?
From an ethnocentric standpoint, one would look at his or her culture to try to explain or judge the cultural practices of others. For example, the anthropologists used the common knowledge that people in most other cultures (probably in their cultures as well) marked their body parts or made body cuts as a form of social identification. Also, various communities adopted cultural practices from others as they interacted. From a cultural relativism standpoint, one would use a cultural trait or characteristic of a community to try to explain a particular practice. For example, because the Vikings took great pride in their looks, they have had their teeth filled as a form of beautification.
