Science

Croatian teenage boys had their skulls squashed to show their allegiance to a specific tribe


Croatian teenage boys had their skulls squashed and stretched into CONES to show they belonged to a specific culture 1,500 years ago

  • University of Vienna experts studied remains from burial site in Osijek, Croatia
  • There, three bodies were unearthed – all teenage boys from circa 415-560 CE
  • Tests on two of the skeletons showed dramatically modified head shapes or ACD
  • These are oldest known incidence of Artificial Cranial Deformation in Croatia 

Croatian teenage boys that lived 1,500 years ago had their skulls deformed into cones or squashed in order  to show which tribe they belonged to. 

Three skeletons were found in the country in 2013 dating back to the 5th century and two of them have a bizarrely shaped skull. 

One of the boys is thought to have had a plank of wood placed on his forehead as a baby to make his skull more cone-shaped.

The other had an abnormal skull, about a third longer than usual, which could have been created by binding his forehead with bandages or a special headdress. 

The three children may have been part of a brutal human sacrifice and showed clear signs of malnutrition. 

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Human remains: The skeletons of three teenage boys dating back to 415-560 CE were unearthed for the first time in 2013 and studied

Human remains: The skeletons of three teenage boys dating back to 415-560 CE were unearthed for the first time in 2013 and studied 

CT scans (pictured) were used to shed light on what may have been done to their heads without destroying the fragile bones. They reveal the bizarre and elongated shape of the craniums

CT scans (pictured) were used to shed light on what may have been done to their heads without destroying the fragile bones. They reveal the bizarre and elongated shape of the craniums 

HOW DID ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS MODIFY SKULLS? 

The practice of skull elongation – to signify group affiliation or social status – dates back 9,000 years

Common in various tribal cultures around the world (such as Mayans, North American natives and Australian Aboriginal people), the head moulding styles fell into three groups: flat, round or conical.

To achieve the desired shape, the head was wrapped in tight cloth.

In the case of cranial flattening, the head was placed between two pieces of wood.

The technique would usually be carried out on an infant, when the skull is at its most pliable. The cloth would be applied from a month after birth and be held in place for about six months. 

Sometimes, skulls were modified as a sign of social status.  

Experts at the University of Vienna studied the remains from the archaeological site in Osijek, Croatia.  

They skeletons were unearthed from the Hermanov vinograd site and dated to 415-560 CE using radiocarbon dating of the bones and analysis of potty shads. 

CT scans were used to shed light on what may have been done to their heads without destroying the fragile bones. 

It is thought the skull shaping was used to brand people of their cultural affiliations and may have represented social standing. 

The teenage boys in the grave were between 12 and 16 years old and may have been Huns, who first brought the practice to the region. 

But, researchers say, they could also be Ostrogoths, or another population. 

It is also unclear whether the cranial deformation to signify cultural identity was a widespread practice or something peculiar to these individuals.

This is the oldest known evidence of the practice in Croatia.

Artificial cranial deformation (ACD) is the practice of modifying the skull from infancy to create a permanently altered shape, often to signify social status. 

The study, published in the journal PLOS One, took genetic samples from the remains and the authors believe they identified their origin. 

Each boy had a different shaped head and each individual came from a different part of the world, indicating different looks symbolised different cultures where head-flattening varied.   

The boy with the cone-head and slanting, caved in forehead is believed to have come from East Asia, a region which contains modern-day China and Korea.

The teenager with the tall head and flat forehead is suggested to have come from the Middle East while the unaltered cranium belonged to someone from western Europe.  

Dr Mario Novak, of the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb, who co-authored the study, said: ‘The most striking observation, based on nuclear ancient DNA, is that these individuals vary greatly in their genetic ancestries.

‘The individual without artificial cranial deformation shows broadly West Eurasian associated-ancestry, the individual with the so-called circular-erect type cranial deformation has Near Eastern associated-ancestry, while the individual with the elongated skull has East Asian ancestry.’ 

Experts at the University of Vienna studied the remains from the archaeological site in Osijek, Croatia

Experts at the University of Vienna studied the remains from the archaeological site in Osijek, Croatia

One of the boys is thought to have had a plank of wood placed on his forehead as a baby to make his skull more cone-shaped. The other had an abnormal skull, about a third longer than usual, which could have been created by binding his forehead with bandages or a special headdress

One of the boys is thought to have had a plank of wood placed on his forehead as a baby to make his skull more cone-shaped. The other had an abnormal skull, about a third longer than usual, which could have been created by binding his forehead with bandages or a special headdress



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