Abstract
Artificial cranial deformation is a cultural practice that modifies the shape of the skull during the early infancy. It is not related to rites of passage, but to different social status in a group. Therefore, the deformed cranium is an expression of individual affirmation and affiliation to a given social group. Osteological material from Pasamayo (AD 1200-1450), a cemetery in central coast of Peru, was analyzed to test whether individuals presenting different types of cranial deformation (interpreted as a sign of different social status) present differences in health status. Three types of cranial deformation were observed and five osteological markers (cribra orbitalia, cranial trauma, antemortem tooth loss, dental caries, and periodontal cavities) related to health status were analyzed in 78 crania. No significant differences were found in terms of these osteological markers among females in relation to the different types of cranial deformation. However, males presenting occipital deformation had significantly less caries and periodontal cavities than the others. Moreover, males presenting fronto-lambdoid deformation had more antemortem tooth loss than the other males. Therefore, although different types of cranial deformation can be potentially associated to distinct social status, differences in health status could only be observed in the male sample.
Highlights
The term ‘cultural cranial deformation’ is used to describe practices that alter the shape of the cranium in infancy and early childhood
The results show that all individuals collected in Pasamayo presented some type of cranial deformation, including a type not described by O’Loughlin (2004), the frontolambdoid deformation
Conclusions different types of cranial deformation can potentially be related to different social status, it was possible to verify that these differences were found just on the male sample and for some of the osteological markers related to oral health
Summary
The term ‘cultural cranial deformation’ is used to describe practices that alter the shape of the cranium in infancy and early childhood This is a very ancient practice, with evidence of cranial deformation having been found in Neanderthals (Trinkaus, 1982) and in Australians in the PleistoceneHolocene transition (Antón and Weinstein, 1999, but see Durband, 2011 for a different view). 1), “evidence suggests that physical or artistic manipulation of skulls was undertaken not just to reinforce social distinctions, and to entrench political power”. It can serve as a permanent symbol of within-group solidarity and of cultural differences between groups (Torres-Rouff, 2002)
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