An international team of researchers report that the Hirota people, who lived on the southern Japanese island of Tanegashima between the late Yayoi period to the Kofun period (3rd to 7th century CE), practiced cranial modification.
Fukuoka, Japan—A team of biological anthropologists and archaeologists from Kyushu University and the University of Montana have broken new ground in our understanding on the practice of intentional cranial modification, a practice found in numerous ancient civilizations around the world.
Publishing in PLOS ONE, the team reports that the Hirota people, who lived on the southern Japanese island of Tanegashima around the 3rd century to 7th century CE, also partook in the practice. Moreover, the study found no significant differences in cranial modification between sexes, indicating that both males and females practiced intentional cranial modification.
Cranial modification is a form of body alteration where the head of a person is pressed or bound, usually at an early age, to permanently deform the skull. The practice predates written history, and researchers theorize that it was performed to signify group affiliation or demonstrate social status.
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Noriko Seguchi, Associate Professor
Department of Environmental Changes
Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies
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