400-year-old dental secret of French aristocrat Anne d’Alegre unveiled

A team of archaeologists and dentists have uncovered the 400-year-old dental secret of French aristocrat Anne d’Alegre, according to a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 

In 1988, the remains of Anne d’Alegre, who passed away in 1619, were uncovered during an archaeological dig at the Chateau de Laval in northwestern France. The body was found encased in a lead coffin, which contributed to the remarkable preservation of both her skeleton and teeth. 

Gold wire to tighten teeth

Upon initial inspection, archaeologists noted the presence of a dental prosthetic, but lacked the advanced technology to uncover further details.

Years later, a team of dentists and archeologists used a “Cone Beam” scan to find that d’Alegre suffered from periodontal disease, causing her teeth to loosen, and was using gold wire to hold them in place. The use of the gold wire, however, made the situation worse, as it required repeated tightening, destabilizing her neighboring teeth. 

Societal pressures for perfect teeth

D’Alegre’s dental work reflects the societal pressure on aristocratic women to maintain a desirable appearance, and her artificial tooth made of ivory from an elephant was a status symbol of the time.

D’Alegre lived through a turbulent period in French history as a Huguenot during the French Wars of Religion and was widowed twice before her death at age 54. 

According to Rozenn Colleter, an archaeologist at the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research, the appearance of Anne d’Alegre’s smile was particularly important as she “did not have a good reputation”.

At the age of 21, she was already a widow and mother to a young son. During the Eighth War of Religion, she and her son were forced to flee from Catholic forces and saw their property seized. Her son eventually converted to Catholicism and died in battle at 20. 

The research offers new insight into the pain and stress d’Alegre went through and aims to rehabilitate her reputation.