Ancient Vietnamese teeth dyed black: iron-based paste reveals 2,000-year-old beauty trend
TL;DR Summary
Archaeologists studying 2,000-year-old skulls from Vietnam’s Dong Xa Iron Age site found iron oxide and sulfur in tooth enamel, indicating ancient people dyed their teeth black with an iron–tannin paste—likely using tannins from betel nut. The practice, dating to the Iron Age, was a cosmetic trend that persisted in parts of Southeast Asia and would have required days to weeks of application with periodic touch-ups.
- 2,000-year-old skulls reveal people in ancient Vietnam permanently blackened their teeth — a stylish practice that persists today Live Science
- 2,000 years ago, people in Vietnam used iron to permanently blacken their teeth The Times of India
- The Enigma of the Legendary Black-Teeth Kingdom of Iron Age Vietnam Solved: They Dyed Them to Distinguish Themselves from “Humanoid Demons” La Brújula Verde
- 2,000-Year-Old Skulls Reveal Ancient Vietnamese Permanently Blackened Teeth ekhbary.com
- Ancient Vietnamese Skulls Reveal 2,000-Year-Old Practice of Teeth Blackening, a Persistent Cultural Aesthetic ekhbary.com
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