Exploring Cranial Vault Modification in the Andes Using 3D Imaging Methods

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Intentional cranial vault modification (CVM) has long been considered to be a permanent marker of social identity widely practiced among ancient Andean communities. CVM styles are broadly categorized into annular and tabular types among ancient Andean communities, yet there is substantial variability of among them. In this study, we use three-dimensional (3D) imaging methods to investigate the complexity beyond broad categories of modified head shapes and explore affinities within and between the coastal and highland populations of the Andes who intentionally modified the heads of infants to achieve a particular shape. Using 3D models from a large digital Andean database, landmarks were recorded on the cranial vault and analyzed using multivariate methods to compare types and explore geographical patterns. Results show that (1) 3D approaches objectively discern between types beyond annular and tabular categories or gross observations of morphology typically used to categorize styles, and (2) that individuals from the Andean highland sites used in this study share similarities with one another that differ from communities who lived along the Andean coast. This research expands contextual studies by employing digital methods and a broader geographic approach to examine social identity and intentional cranial modification among precolumbian Andean societies.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37101.0