Ali Kosh Lady and Her Artificially Modified Head: An Appraisal

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Biology, York University, Canada

Abstract

We had the opportunity to examine the cranium of a young woman found at the well-known Neolithic site of Ali Kosh
on the Deh Luran plain in southwestern Iran. It has previously been claimed that her head shows traces of modification,
a practice which can be termed as either cultural or artificial cranial modification. Here, we describe several macroscopic
characteristics of the modified crania and discuss how this claim can be dismissed. Our craniometric study of the Ali
Kosh cranium showed that the morphological state of that cranium is analogous to that of the crania of modern humans.
A comparison of the morphological change patterns of deformed crania and development of wormian bones with that of
Ali Kosh suggest that the Ali Kosh cranium is not the result of artificial head deformations.

Keywords

References

S.C; C.R. Jaslow & S.M. Swartz.1992 Sutural complexity in artificially deformedhuman (Homo sapiens) crania. Journal of
Morphology 214: 321-332.
Anton, S.C.1989 Intentional cranial vault deformation andinduced change of cranial base and face.American Journal of Physical Anthropology79: 253-267.
Blom, D.E.2005 Embodying borders: human bodymodification and diversity in Tiwanakusociety. Journal of Anthropological
Archaeology 24: 1–24.
1999 Tiwanaku regional interaction and socialidentity, abioarchaeological approach. Ph.Dthesis, Department of Anthropology,University of Chicago.
Bass, W. M.1987 Human osteology: a laboratory and fieldmanual. Columbia, Missouri: MissouriArchaeological Society.
Daems, A & K. Croucher.2007 Artificial cranial modification in PrehistoricIran: evidence from crania and figurines.
Iranica Antiqua XLII: 1-21.
El-Najjar, M.Y & G.L. Dawson.1977 The effect of artificial cranial deformationon the incidence of wormian bones in the
lambdoidal suture. American Journal ofPhysical Anthropology 46: 155-160.
Hole, F; K.V. Flannery & J.A.Neely.1969 Prehistory and human ecology of the DehLuran Plain. An early village sequence fromKhuzistan, Iran. Memoirs of the Museum ofAnthropology. Ann Arbor: University ofMichigan 1.
Hole, F.1977 Studies in the archaeological history ofthe Deh Luran plain: the excavation ofChagha Sefid. Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Hours, F; O. Aurenche; J. Cauvin; M-Cl Cauvin; L.Copeland; P. Sanlaville & P. Lombard.1994 Atlas des sites du proche- orient (14000-7500 BP), vol. I: texte, Travaux de laMaison de l’ Orient 24. Paris: Diffusion deBoccard.
Imbelloni, J.1938 Formas, esenciay metodica de lasdeformaciones cefalicas intencionales.Revista del Instituto de Antropologia de laUniversidad de Tucuman 1: 5-537.
Jones, P.2004 Identity and preoccupation: skulls cults andthe emanation of ideals in the aceramicNeolithic of Cyprus. Paper presented at the2004 BANEA Conference, 25-27 March2004. England: Reading University.
Lambert, P. J.1979 Early Neolithic crania deformation at GanjDareh Tepe, Iran. Canadian Review ofPhysical Anthropology 1: 51-54.
Meiklejohn, C; A. Agelarakis; P.A. Akkermans; P.E.L.Smith & R. Solecki.1992 Artificial cranial deformation in the Proto-
Neolithic and Neolithic Near East and itspossible origin: evidence from four sites.Paleorient 18 (20): 83-97.Molleson, T & S. Campbell.1995 Deformrd skulls at Tell Arpachiyah: thesocial context. In S. Campbell & A. Green(eds.) The Archaeology of Death in theAncient Near East. Monograph 51: 45-55.Oxford: Oxbow
O'Loughlin, V.D.2004 Effects of different kinds of cranialdeformation on the incidence of wormianbones. American Journal of PhysicalAnthropology 123: 146-155.
2000 Do different kinds of cranial deformationaffect the incidence of wormian bones inhumancrania? American Journal of PhysicalAnthropology 20: 134-135.
Özbek, M.2001 Cranial deformation in a subadult samplefrom Degirmentepe (Chalcolithic, turkey).American Journal of Physical Anthropology115: 238-244.
Ricci, F; C. Fornai; V. Tiesler Blos; O. Rickards; S.Di Lernia & G. Manzi.2008 Evidence of artificial cranial deformation
from the later prehistory of the Acacus Mts.( Southwestern Libya, Central Sahara),International Journal of Osteoarchaeology18 (4): 372-394.
Soto-Heim, P.1986 Deformation cranienne artificielle dans l’Iran ancient. Bulletin de la Société d’Anthropologie 3: 105-116.
Synnot, A.1993 The body social:symbolism self and society.London: Routledge.
Torres-Rouff, C.2002 Cranial vault modification and ethnicity inmiddle horizon San Pedro de Atacama,Chile. CurrentAnthropology 43: 163-171.
Torres-Rouff, C& L.T. Yablonsky.2005 Cranial vault modification as a culturalartifact: a comparison of the Eurasiansteppes and the Andes. HOMO-Journal ofComparative Human Biology 56: 1-16.
Trinkaus, E.1982 Artificial cranial deformation in theShanidar 1 and 5 Neanderthals. Current
Anthropology 23 (2): 198-199.
White, C.D.1996 Sutural effects of fronto-occipital cranialmodification. American Journal of PhysicalAnthropology 100: 397-410.
White, T. D.1991 Human osteology. New York: AcademicPress.
Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies
Volume 1, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
most visited articles
April 2011
Pages 17-24

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics