Objectives: Regarding evolution from the middle age to nowadays, the aim of this study was to compare cephalometric norms of complete adult medieval skulls (XIIth-XIVth centuries) with contemporary skulls all from the same region of France. Materials: Medieval skulls (n=35) were in good state of conservation and issued from different sites and tombs from the South West of France. Third molar (or socket) had to be present. Contemporary skulls (n=41), were those of students (young adults, male and women, 23 to 27 years of age) from the Faculty of Dental Surgery, Toulouse. None of them had received orthodontic treatment and all had complete dentition. Methods: Skulls were stabilized in occlusion in the cephalostat along the osseous Frankfort Plane. A lateral cephalometric radiograph was made of each skull. Six Cephalometric points were selected by inspection to avoid construction's tracing errors. The angles were chosen to evaluate : the sagittal maxillo-mandibular relation (SNA, SNB, ANB), the cranial base flexion (Welcker's angle : Ba-S-Na) and the vertical dimension (SN/Mandibular Plane angle). Results: Results were analysed by classic statistical tests (Shapiro-Wilk, mean, standard deviation, test of comparison of means). They show a wider ANB angle (p<0.01) in the medieval skulls (4.11° vs 2.41°) but no significant difference for the cranial base flexion and the vertical dimension between the two populations. Conclusions: Considering litterature (« masticatory function hypothesis », « dental reduction hypothesis »…), changes in way of life, diet, environment and populations intermixing suggest skeletal (facial) and dental evolutions in modern populations. From a skeletal point of view, our results show there is no significant change in cephalometric norms over a period of approximately 600 years. Contemporary way of life seems to generate less skeletal (facial) changes than might be supposed.

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