
A cube-shaped human skull discovered by researchers in Mexico could yield new insights into an ancient cultural practice known as “intentional cranial deformation.” The skull belonged to a 40-year-old man who lived in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range more than 1,000 years ago, according to a translated press release from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). The institute said the practice was carried out during a child’s early years, using boards and bandages wrapped around the skull to sculpt it as the child developed. “Not only was intentional cranial deformation identified for the first time for this type of site, but also a variant [was found] with respect to the models recognized in Mesoamerica not reported until now in the area,” anthropologist Jesús Ernesto Velasco González said, according to the release. He explained that the square shape of the skull was different than the typical “conical” shape seen elsewhere in the region.



















