A cephalometric study of the Romano-British.

Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken of 50 Romano-British skulls of both sexes excavated near Dorchester and 11 male skulls from York. Thirty nine craniofacial parameters were compared with radiographs of modern Londoners taken on the same apparatus. The values for basal prognathism were similar in Romano-British and modern groups. The upper incisor angle, overbite and overjet were significantly reduced in both ancient groups, particularly in those individuals exhibiting marked attrition, but the lower incisor angle showed remarkable stability throughout. The gonial angle and the maxillo-mandibular planes angle were reduced in the ancient material but this could not be directly attributed to greater development of the muscular processes. Vertical facial height was unaffected by the level of attrition. The cranial base angle (NSAr) was wider and the anterior cranial base (S-N) shorter in the Romano-British which was assumed to be a genetic effect, the mechanism as yet remaining unexplained. No increase in biological variation has occurred in recent years as a result of increased life expectancy. The standard deviations of both groups demonstrated a close correlation for all variables except those affected by attrition.