For many years, people have deliberately altered their body composition. The Earth has been around for thousands of yearsSkull modification is one of the most fascinating practices.
Around the World Through the ages, There are many culturesArtificially and deliberately Their skulls have changed shape.
While the practice The emergence of a new species in AsiaEvidence of people deliberately deforming their heads in Japan is rare. There’s Just one placeIt may have occurred on the island of Tanegashima between the 3rd and 7th centuries BCE.
The modifications that could be made are much more subtle in comparison to the other examples. The changes were so subtle that other, less deliberate factors could not be excluded.
A thorough analysis has confirmed this. People who lived on the land that is now known today as the Hirota siteBoth men and women set out to change the shape of their skulls.
This is a large-scale burial site of the Hirota people who lived there from the end of the Yayoi Period, around the 3rd century CE, to the Kofun Period between the 5th and 7th centuries CE,” The Hirota people lived on the island from the Yayoi Period (around the 3rd Century CE) to the Kofun Period (5th-7th CE). Noriko Seuchi is an anthropologistKyushu University, Japan
This site was excavated in 1957 and 1959, then again in 2005 and 2006. The initial excavation revealed remains that had cranial deformations, including a flattened skull and an occipital and parietal bone posterior part.
The Hirota burial site is a vast area. The two excavations yielded hundreds of full skeletons and partial skeletons as well as thousands of grave goods. This corpus is a valuable resource for studying the Hirota Culture. The skulls’ shape is not known to have been intentionally altered or if it was a result of an accidental process.
Seguchi’s team and she attempted to solve the mystery through a thorough comparison of 2D and 3-D scans.
The researchers also added skulls JomonThe Yayoi are a people who lived on Kyushu before the Yayoi Period. DoigahamaTo compare, you can refer to the study of theirs. The study consisted of 19 Hirota, 9 Jomon, and 28 Doigahama.
Researchers compared the shapes of the skulls in each group visually, then performed a statistical analysis.
The Hirota skulls showed distinct features that are consistent with modification. These characteristics were not present in the Jomon or Doigahama. The backs were flattened and the crania showed bulges, asymmetries and depressions which indicated that this shape was not natural.
The Hirota performed a cultural exercise, according to the team. Other communities did not.
Our results revealed distinct cranial characteristics and statistical variability between Hirota individuals and Kyushu Island Jomon or Doigahama Yayoi sample.” Seguchi explains.
“The flattening of the back of the head, caused by the changes in the occipital, and depressions of parts of skull that connect the bones together (specifically the sagittal, lambdoidal and sagittal sutures) strongly suggested an intentional cranial alteration.”
The Hirota did not seem to do this practice based on gender. Men and women equally had squished skulls, suggesting it may have had something to do with reinforcing cultural identity – a way of standing out against other nearby people.
“Our findings significantly contributed to our understanding of the practices of intentional cranial modifying in ancient societies,” Seguchi says. “We hope further investigations will provide additional insight into the social, cultural and historical significance of this practice throughout East Asia and around the world.”
The research has appeared in PLOS ONE.
