- A rare cube-shaped skull was found in Tamaulipas, Mexico, dating 400-900 AD
- The skull belonged to a man around 40 years old with a unique parallelliptical shape
- Shaping skulls was common, but this cube shape is distinct from typical conical forms
Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a rare cube-shaped skull that sheds light on the social practices of a Mesoamerican civilization from 1,400 years ago. The skull belonged to a man who died around the age of 40 and lived between 400 and 900 AD in the area now known as Balcon de Montezuma in Tamaulipas, reported Ny Post.
According to biological anthropologist Jesus Ernesto Velasco Gonzalez, this skull differs significantly from the conical skulls previously found in the region.
Artificially shaping skulls was common in Mesoamerican societies, but this skull was cube-shaped and differed from the more common, "accessible" and unusual skulls found at Balcano de Montezuma.
Velasco Gonzalez explained that this skull was likely shaped using the "compression plane" technique commonly applied to infants. He described it as having a "parallelliptical" shape, meaning it resembled a parallelogram more than a sphere.
According to researchers, this individual's unique skull was unique to his society or culture, although its exact meaning is unknown. Velasco Gonzalez said that unique skulls were often a symbol of high social status or deep spirituality. This influenced social attire and the ornaments worn on skulls, which distinguished individuals.
Flat-topped skulls have been found in areas associated with the Mayan civilisation, although the Mayans never settled in Tamaulipas. In Mayan culture, changing the shape of the skull was considered protective and was part of the "Ritual Ensoulment" process, which was considered necessary to ensure safety throughout the lifespan.
Scientists examined the skull's bones and teeth and found that the individual likely lived in Tamaulipas his entire life. Historically, the region was inhabited by the Olmec, Chichimec, and Huastec tribes at various times. After the decline of the Mayan civilization around 900 AD, many people migrated northward to Tamaulipas.
Nowadays, babies with flat heads, called plagiocephaly, are sometimes treated with helmet therapy to gradually correct the shape of the skull.
