Buccal dental microwear as an indicator of dietary habits and dietary adaptation of the Byzantine people of Jordan.

This study examined buccal microwear from the Byzantine sites of Yajuz and Sa'ad in Jordan (n = 15) to assess different subsistence economies. An Indian Hindu sample (n = 7) was used for comparative purposes. The results show no differences in the pattern of buccal dental microwear between the two Byzantine sites, while a difference was noted when these sites were compared to Hindus. It is probable that cultural variation was the cause of buccal microwear differences between the temporally located sites. Although the economies during the Byzantine period were diversified, technological adaptation spread into region during the Byzantine period , which eased food accession and processing.