Body Modification: Examples and Explanations

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Body Modification: Examples and Explanations" at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Permanent body modification (PBM) is among the most striking of contemporary human behaviors, and there is evidence that it has been practiced for thousands of years. However, to date, PBM has been the subject of comparatively little anthropological and archaeological research. Consequently, it is poorly understood. The present session will feature talks based on papers from a forthcoming edited volume that seeks to change this state of affairs. The talks will discuss examples of PBM practices that have been carried out in different places and at different times, including tattooing, scarification, piercing, dental modification, and finger amputation. Proximate and ultimate reasons why individuals are motivated to engage in PBM practices will also be considered in the course of the session.