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Intentional Skull Deformation in Japan. Archaeologists Discover Traces of Enigmatic Practice.
Skull deformation was practiced for several centuries from the 3rd to the 7th century AD by the Hirota community in the present-day area of Japan. This procedure applied to both women and men. Why was it carried out?
Skull deformation is a practice known worldwide.
Archaeologists have evidence that many communities in the distant past intentionally deformed the skulls of their children. Among them were the Huns, the elite of the Maya in Central America, certain Native American tribes, and societies in South America. Such procedures were carried out 10,000 years ago in the areas of present-day Iran.
The deformations varied. For example, in Peru, skulls were unnaturally elongated. The oldest known case of intentional skull modification dates back over 12,000 years in the Chinese region. The first written mention of skull deformation comes from around 400 BC, described by the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates.
How was this done? Typically, the procedure began in early childhood when the skull is still quite malleable. Cloth was wrapped around the head, forcing skull growth in a specific direction. Wooden boards were also used, usually two attached to the head at an acute angle…
