ACCESSORY MENTAL FORAMEN (AMF) IN THE BYZANTINE POPULATION OF GREAT GÖZTEPE TUMULUS/SAFRANBOLU

Variations are one of the most important criteria to present the similarities and differences among populations and individuals. There are different variations that can also be observed on the mandible. One of these variations is the accessory mental foramen (AMF), which is rarely seen on jaws. The paleodemographic analyses conducted on the Byzantine skeletons found in Göztepe Tumulus showed that the population consisted of 24 individuals. Of those 24 individuals, the mandibles of 14 adults were examined macroscopically, and an AMF was found on 3 of them. The examination of the mental foramens (MFs) in terms of their shape showed that 9 oval and 5 circular MFs were found on the left sides of 14 mandibles, and 7 oval and 6 circular MFs were found on the right sides. The present study is important because it is the first study conducted on the AMFs belonging to the Byzantine population in Anatolia.