Ubucwebe bezinyo zamaMaya ezenziwe nge-jade, igolide nezinye izinsimbi namatshe ayigugu, cishe azinikezi kuphela "isicwebezelisi" kubanikazi bazo, kodwa futhi zasebenza njengokuvimbela i-caries nesifo se-periodontal. Le ndawo yayiphethwe usimende, owawunamathele emazinyweni abo bonke lobu buhle, kusho ososayensi baseMexico nase-United States.
Abacwaningi besiko lamaMaya bayazi ukuthi abameleli basendulo balaba bantu babethanda kakhulu ukunikeza ukumamatheka kwabo ubuhle obengeziwe, okungukuthi, bagaya amazinyo abo noma babhoboze imigodi ukuze bafake "ukugcwaliswa" kwe-jade, igolide, i-turquoise, i-jet noma i-hematite. Lokhu futhi kwenziwa ngezinjongo zesiko: ukugcwaliswa kwakunamathiselwe kuma-incisors nama-canines ekuqaleni kwabantu abadala, bahlala nomuntu impilo yonke futhi mhlawumbe babenokubaluleka okungokomoya.
Bonke lobu bukhazikhazi babunamathele emazinyweni ngosizo lukasimende okhethekile. Ubunjalo bayo bacwaningwa ngososayensi base-Autonomous University of Yucatan (Mexico), kanye neHarvard neBrown Universities (USA). Bethula abakutholile kumagazini i-Archaeological Science: Reports. Amazinyo abucwebe athathwe ezindaweni zemivubukulo eGuatemala, Belize naseHonduras.
Ocwaningweni, ososayensi bahlonze ama-molecule e-organic ayi-150 avame ukutholakala kuma-resin ezitshalo. Kuye ngendawo lapho izinyo livela khona, usimende, njengoba kwavela, wawunesethi ehlukile yezinto, kodwa izithako eziyinhloko zazifana.
Ingxube yabo yayinamandla ngokwedlulele. Kuyaqondakala, ngoba amazinyo ahlanganiswe ngamatshe ayigugu asinda kuze kube yilolu suku. Ososayensi baphinde bathola ukuthi ama-blotches anjalo emazinyweni ayenziwa hhayi abantu abacebile kuphela, kodwa futhi nabameleli bezigaba ezingaphumelelanga kakhulu. Futhi kokubili amadoda nabesifazane.
Kodwa isiphetho esiyinhloko sabalobi bomsebenzi siphathelene nezakhiwo zokwelapha zikasimende. Kwavela ukuthi wayenomphumela wokuphulukisa nenhlanzeko. Ingxube ye-adhesive, ngokusho kwabacwaningi, yakwazi ukunciphisa ingozi yokuvuvukala nokutheleleka emlonyeni, njengoba enye yezithako zayo eziyinhloko kwakuyi-pine resin, enezindawo zokulwa namagciwane.
Okubili kokugcwalisa okuyisishiyagalombili kwavalwa ngengxube equkethe i-sclareolide, umkhiqizo wemvelo osuselwe emithonjeni ehlukahlukene yezitshalo, okuhlanganisa i-sage nogwayi. Le nto inemiphumela elwa namagciwane kanye ne-antifungal. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iphunga elimnandi, ngakho-ke livame ukusetshenziswa ku-perfumery. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ososayensi bathole emafutheni abalulekile usimende wezitshalo zomndeni we-mint, nawo anomphumela wokulwa nokuvuvukala.
Ukubhoboza kwenziwa ngobuchule kangangokuthi kwakungavamile ukuthinta izinzwa nemithambo yegazi emaphakathi nezinyo. Ngendlela, abavubukuli bayazi ukuthi amaMayans ayehlonipha ngokuhlanzeka kwamazinyo, ngakho-ke iziphetho zososayensi zibukeka zizwakala: ingxube ye-samente ayisebenzi nje ukulungisa izinsimbi eziyigugu namatshe, kodwa futhi nokuvimbela i-caries nesifo se-periodontal.
