Variations in Cranial Vault Modification at Uraca, Majes Valley, Perú

Aric 1
Archebelle-Smith , Cassandra (Beth) K. 2
Scaffidi ,
Manuel Angel Mamani, Lisseth Rojas Pelayo
New College of Florida1, Colorado College and Vanderbilt University2

Site Background Research Questions Results (cont.)

The Majes Valley is located in the coastal Camaná-Majes River drainage in
the Arequipa region of southern Perú. The Middle Horizon cemetery site of
Uraca is located in the Middle Majes Valley, 4.49 kilometers north of the town of
Corire. The archaeological zone is the closest cemetery to the immense rock art
site Toro Muerto, approximately 2 kilometers to its north. The site was divided
into four sectors, based on their geographic location and artifact assemblages
(Scaffidi CK, and García Márquez ME 2015).
Cranial Vault Modification and Object Impressions
Cranial vault modification (“CVM”) was a common practice in the pre-
Columbian Andes. This involved altering the shape of an individual’s cranium
through the long-term binding of the head starting immediately after birth and
lasting for a period ranging from between three to five years (O’Brien & Stanley
2013). Previous archaeological work suggests that CVM may have served as an
ostensible marker of occupation (Lozada and Buikstra 2005) or of ethnic identity
(Blom 2005a; Blom 2005b; Hoshower et al. 1995; Torres-Rouff and Yablonsky
2005; Torres-Rouff 2002).
In Arequipa, there is some ethnographic evidence for distinct cranial
modification styles according to geographic locale. Cook reports that “the
purpose of the custom was to mold the skull to match the shape of the volcano
from where their ancestor emerged” (2007:13). The collas of the highlands
rounded their heads like cones, while the cabanas closer to the coast flattened
and widened their heads. Poma de Ayala also depicts the “colla” and
“cabanaconde” styles (Ayala 1613) (Fig. 1,2). Consistent with the coastal Andean
traditions, the heads of individuals buried at Uraca were modified in the fronto-
occipital or tabular form (Blom 2005b) where the frontal and occipital bones
were pressed flat. Researchers have further subdivided this type into tabular
erect and tabular oblique (e.g. Torres-Rouff 2002). However, while documenting
CVM, we observed even more variation in the placement of the bindings. We
identified three styles based on the location of the center, or centers, of
compression: fronto-occipital lambda, fronto-occipital squamous, and general
fronto-occipital.
We also noticed that many of the modified crania presented a circular
impression, similar to a healed blunt force trauma, often at inion, or around the
superior nuchal planum. Because these impressions were rarely associated with
other traumatic injuries and were similar in size, shape, and location we
suspected that they might be impressions left by some sort of object
incorporated into the bindings used for modification rather than antemortem
traumas (Fig. 3).
1. How do modification styles at Uraca vary by sex, age, and sector?
2. Are object impressions related to modification?
3. Do the object impressions tend to be at a certain location or correlate
with a certain type of modification?
Hypothesis: if object depressions are related to modification rather than
being non-diagnosed traumas, then modified crania should have more
object impressions than non-modified crania.
Methods
• All crania were inventoried, labeled, photographed, drawn, and
conserved
• Age-at-death, sex, pathology, dental health, and cranial vault
modification (hereinafter “CVM”) were coded according to standard
bioarchaeological methods (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994)
• When we identified small circular depressions at inion and the
cranium was modified without other traumatic lesions, we diagnosed
the indentations as object impressions
• A review of museum collections and literature in Peru produced no
evidence of these types of object impressions in any other culture
(Rojas Pelayo, Pers. Comm. 2015)
• CVM style was based on the location of the center, or centers, of
compression of the occipital:
• at lambda: fronto-occipital lambda
• at the squamous portion: fronto-occipital squamous
• at both lambda and the squamous portion: general
fronto-occipital
Results
• Out of 156 crania, 130 were observable for modification.
• Out of the 130 observable for modification, 120 (93%) were modified
(all sectors combined).
• Crania often had barely observable bilateral pad impressions on the
frontal bone and the temporal lines at the frontal brow ridge often
displayed rugosity that could be associated with binding.
• 48 (37%) were modified at lambda (Fig. 4, Fig. 5), 12 (9%) were
modified at the squamous portion (Fig. 6, Fig. 7), 57 (44%) were
modified at the general occipital (Fig. 8, Fig. 9), and 13 (10%) had no
modification
Object Impressions
• Out of the 117 modified crania, 39 (33%) had object impressions (Fig. 10,
Table 3).
• Out of the 39 crania with object impressions, 38 (97%) had only one
impression, 1 (3%) had two impressions.
• Out of the 39 crania with object impressions, 32 (82%) were at inion, 3 (8%)
on the left occipital, 1 (3%) at obelion, 1 (3%) on the right occipital, 1 (3%) on
the right and left occipitals, and 1 (3%) on the right and left parietals.
• The average height of the object impressions is 10.86mm and the average
Fig. 6. Fronto-occipital squamous modified crania. Fig. 8. General fronto-occipital modified crania. width is 15.41mm. 27 of the 39 object impressions were measured.
Table 3. Summary table of object impressions by modification style.
Crania with Object
Modification Style Impressions (N=39)
Fronto-Occipital Lambda 13 (33%)
Fronto-Occipital Squamous 5 (13%)
General Fronto-Occipital 20 (51%)
Fig. 11. Map in UTM 18S showing the three main CVM
styles by sector. Map by Cassandra K. Scaffidi. No Modification 1 (3%)
Discussion
The CVM styles identified at Uraca do not fall neatly into the previously
Fig. 7. Diagram of crania from Fig. 6. Drawing by Fig. 9. Diagram of crania from Fig. 8. Drawing by identified categories of CVM. Fronto-occipital lambda and general fronto-
Manuel Mamani. Manuel Mamani. occipital most closely resemble the tabular erect style which places more
pressure on the back of the crania forcing the back of the crania to flatten and
Results (cont.) extend upward. Fronto-occipital squamous closely resembles tabular oblique
which applies pressure to the lower portion of the back of the crania flattening
Modification Style By Sex
the back of the crania and extending it posteriorly (Torres-Rouff 2005) (Fig. 12,
• Males and females were equally modified, as the difference between male and female
French 2010: 8). These findings are significant because they indicate that there
were not statistically significant (Fisher’s exact, p=0.4184, two-tailed).
was more variety in CVM styles than has been previously recorded, and more
• For all sex-based subsamples, lambdoidal modification was the most common, followed by
variety within the coastal type.
squamosal (Table 1).
The discovery of object impressions on the crania is significant as well. The
Table 1. Summary table of modification styles by sex. consistent size and location of the object impressions suggests that their
placement within the binding apparatus was intentional and significant. These
Modification Style Female (N=41) Male(N=57) Unsexed (N=32)
object impressions had not been previously documented anywhere in Perú and
Fronto-Occipital their discovery introduces a new line of investigation for CVM.
Lambda 16 (39%) 18 (32%) 14 (44%)
Fig. 12. Diagram comparing CVM styles (French 2010:
Fronto-Occipital
8).
Squamous 4 (10%) 7 (12%) 1 (3%)
General Fronto-
Occipital 20 (49%) 32 (56%) 5 (16%)
Conclusion
After examining the crania from Uraca, it appears that the object impressions are related to CVM. Out of all 39 crania exhibiting
these object impressions, 38 of them were on crania with CVM. This, in conjunction with the relatively consistent size and location
Modification Style By Sector of the object impressions, suggests that these impressions are not traumas but are likely the result of a circular object placed within
• 91% of Sector I crania (N = 110) were modified, vs. 54% (N = 26) of Sector II crania (all the boards or textile bindings used to bind the crania. Future research with the Uraca sample will map object impressions in 3D and
subsectors combined). Sector I had more modified crania, and this difference was more thoroughly examine their shapes, sizes, and locations as compared to healed blunt force traumas. We urge colleagues in other
extremely significant (Fisher’s exact, p < 0.0001, two-tailed) (Fig. 11, Table 2). areas to examine crania exhibiting CVM for these object impressions in order to learn more about their range of expression and
whether they are associated with any particular culture, geographic area, or time period.
Table 2 Summary Table of Modification Styles by Sector

Works Cited
Modification Style Sector I (N=100) Sector IIA (N=9) Sector IIB (N=2) Sector IIC (N=6)
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Fig. 5. Diagram of crania from Fig. 4 Drawing by
Fig. 10. Chart showing percentages of object impressions by sector. 2015 Proyecto Arqueológico Uraca: Informe Arqueológico para el Instituto Nacional de Cultura de Perú.
Fig. 3. Example of object impression at inion. Manuel Mamani.