In the northeast of China, archaeologists have discovered skulls of an unusual shape, whose age ranges from five to 12 thousand years. The practice of artificial skull deformation is known in many ancient cultures, and it still exists in some tribes living in remote corners of the Earth. However, scientists are still debating about the meaning of this custom, and supporters of conspiracy theories believe that there were aliens here. "Lenta.ru" tells in detail about the find itself, as well as how and why people of antiquity modified their bodies.
Strange find
In the Neolithic tombs located at the archaeological site of Houtaomuga (China's Jirin province), researchers have found 25 skeletons. 11 of them showed signs of deliberate modification of the skull.
This is not the oldest such find. The oldest evidence of artificial skull deformation, discovered in 1982 in Iraq, is 45 thousand years old and the record belongs not to humans, but to a Neanderthal. At the same time, a number of researchers have questioned that an extinct species of people really resorted to this practice. However, there are finds that are 13 thousand years old, and all scientists are sure of them.
The remains found in Girin included five adult elongated skulls (four men and one woman) and six children. The age of the people at the time of burial ranged from three to 40 years. One of them - a man - lived 12 thousand years ago, and the rest lay in cultural layers five thousand years old and 6.5 thousand years old.
The new discovery differs from others in that the remains cover a large period of time at once: seven thousand years. As the authors wrote in an article published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, the area where Houtaomuga is located served as a center for the spread of the human population beyond northeast China: to central China, to the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago, to Eastern Siberia and America. Hence the value of the find: in the future it will help reveal the secret of why such a strange tradition arose at all.
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Chosen by the gods
Probably, over the millennia, there could be a number of reasons for cranial modification: a marker of an elite position in the social hierarchy, an indicator of beauty or proximity to the spirit world. Thus, on the islands of Tomman and Malakula in the Australian region, a person with an elongated head is considered more intelligent, has a high status and can communicate with supernatural forces. However, there is no evidence that such deformations actually bring any direct benefit to a person, such as increasing mental abilities.
In any case, only a few people resorted to deformation of the skull - this is indicated by the fact that of all the remains, only half had signs of modification. All found burials were placed in vertical tombs of the same type, that is, they belonged to the same culture. Archaeologists have found luxury artifacts next to an adult woman and a three-year-old child. Two common graves were also discovered: one with an adult and a child, and the other with three bodies. At the same time, in the first grave, both skulls were elongated - modifications seem to be a family tradition.
The authors write that although the criterion by which some people had their skulls deformed and others did not, still remains unknown, it became clear that it was the high social status that played an important role - not only of an individual, but also of a family.
Rigid procedure
Artificial deformation of the head begins to be carried out in infancy, when the child's skull is soft, pliable, and his bones have not yet grown together. The head is tightly wrapped with cloth or something like a tire is made of boards. The procedure can take up to six months. There is a description of it: “every day the child's head is smeared with a paste of burnt tung moluccan walnut (Aleurites moluccanus). This process softens the skin and prevents rashes. After that, the head is tied with "ne'enbobosit" (Ne'Enbobosit) - a soft bandage made from the inner bark of a banana tree. A "no'onbat'ar" - a woven basket made from a pandanus plant - is placed over the bandage, and tied with a fiber rope on top."
Skulls of 8 year old children.
As a result of the procedure, the skull becomes partially flat and elongated, somewhat resembling the head of aliens. According to most experts, this modification does not affect cognitive performance and human health (although there are suspicions about an increased risk of epilepsy).
They are everywhere
Malakulan residents say they lengthen the heads of their children because it is a tradition based on the spiritual beliefs of their people. It is obvious to them that a child with a modified skull is more beautiful and wiser. The aborigines of the island of Borneo (Indonesia) believe that a sign of beauty is a flat forehead. In this case, the modification begins in the first month of the child's life and is carried out using the tadal tool. A pillow is placed on the forehead, which is held in place with bands that surround the head. The pressure is regulated with the help of threads - in the early stages of the procedure, it is small, but gradually increases.
In Africa, the Moru-Mangbetu peoples are known, for whom the unusual shape of the skull is a sign of belonging to an elite social group. Tight headbands were put on the babies' heads, which were worn for several years. In adulthood, the length of the skull was visually emphasized by wrapping the hair around a wicker basket.
The same tradition existed in European countries. For example, in France, the practice of artificial skull deformation (known as the Toulouse deformation) among peasants lasted until the end of the 19th century. In Deux Sèvres, the child's head was wrapped for two to four months with a thick bandage, which was then replaced with a basket and reinforced with metal threads. In Normandy, the skull was squeezed with a piece of tarpaulin and special hairstyles were done. In Europe, cranial deformity during the late antiquity and early Middle Ages was popular with the Huns who invaded Europe from Asia. In the II century, this procedure was practiced by the peoples living on the territory of Romania.
Woman with a child in Vanuatu.
Traces of tradition have been found in the New World as well. In Mexico, archaeologists have unearthed bones that belonged to the ancient Maya, including one elongated skull. An ancient mass grave was unearthed in Bolivia, South America, which also contained strangely shaped skulls.
No aliens
The lack of an unambiguous answer to the question of where and why the practice of skull deformation arose, turned out to be convenient for supporters of the theory of paleocontact. According to this concept, which modern scientists do not take seriously, ancient people contacted representatives of cosmic civilizations, which could be interpreted as spirits or gods. The shape of the head of the aliens could have inspired the rulers of ancient peoples to imitate in order to gain access to the wisdom of the aliens.
However, the theory of paleocontact is not supported by scientific research - there are more acceptable versions of the appearance of certain customs, artifacts and structures in history. For example, humans were initially able to imitate other groups of people who had an unusual skull shape from nature. The reason why they started doing this should be sought in new burials, and not resorting to naked speculation.
Alexander Enikeev