Tanden van een oeros (vermoedelijk) before 1869

This is a photograph of Aurochs teeth, the work of an anonymous photographer, documented at the "Seine aux Ages Ante-Historiques". What we see here are the very stuff of survival, captured through the lens of early photography. Teeth, made of enamel, dentin, and cementum, show the wear and tear of a prehistoric existence. Each ridge and crevice tells a story of grinding, tearing, and chewing, revealing the aurochs' diet and life in its environment. Photography here is not just a medium for documentation but a tool for scientific exploration, as the photographer captured and made available the image of these specimens. The photograph itself exists as part of a cultural and political ecosystem. These teeth, silent witnesses to a bygone era, remind us of the tangible connection between material, making, and cultural understanding.