Types of Artificial Cranial Deformation in the Eastern United States

Abstract

In order to secure accurate information on the distribution of artificial cranial deformation, both in time and in space, as an aid to cultural reconstructions, and to the allocation of burials and archaeological features associated with burials, a series of diagrams illustrating six types of deformation found in the eastern United States are given in Fig. 37. Another type, the lambdoid deformation of the Chaco Canyon region of New Mexico, is merely included for comparison with natural lambdoid flattening and obelionic deformation. All these finer distinctions of types of artificial deformation and a number of others have been previously recognized and have appeared in print, but only those that were found to be characteristic of groups of people have been accepted, thereby eliminating individual variations. No distinction has been made between unintentional and intentional deformation since it is often difficult to decide this question in series of crania of groups of people who deformed the skulls only mildly, nor are the various cradling practices producing the different types of deformation considered here.