Permanent body modifications are one of a larger
group of body alterations, including various types of body art and adornment
that can be used to convey information. Cranial vault modification occupies
one extreme of this typology, being among the most permanent and socially controlled.
People who practice intentional head shaping bind the heads of infants to obtain
a desired form. This deliberate binding can create highly visible, sometimes
extreme alterations to natural head shape. It is practiced cross-culturally
and functions to denote social structures.
Bioarchaeologists use human skeletal remains to address questions about human behavior in the past through the integration of biological data with archaeological evidence making it ideal for analysis of cranial modification. Because permanent alterations to the body are generally indicative of group or individual identity, analysis of vault modification in archaeological populations allows exploration of the interface between society and the human body. This research examines the complex process through which human development was altered and redirected to serve social ends.
This dissertation focuses on the role cranial vault modification played in both
small-scale and complex Andean societies. The research is based upon data collected
from the skeletal remains of 2,729 individuals from pre-Columbian sites. This
sample encompasses a tremendous range of social complexity and geography and
as such provides a strong test case for examining the relationship between social
complexity and cranial modification. I argue that complex and small-scale societies
use cranial modification differently, and to serve different social needs. Large,
complex polities have a need to create a more homogenous, and harmonious group
identity and this is reflected in head shape, which serves as a very visible
symbol of a person’s ascribed social identity. Smaller, less complex societies,
in contrast, use head shape to demarcate within group differences, such as those
based upon lineage membership or place of origin. Instead of concentrating on
the precise quantification of changes in cranial form, this dissertation explores
the complex interactions between cranial modification and social identity and
show that there is a relationship between political function and head shape.
work on the collection from Pachacamac
news from the field - summer 2001 in Chile