Hunnic skulls

[Cataphract_Of_The_City]

Perhaps this is why the Roman were terrified of them. Was this usual? Did it have any effects on brain functions?

[Randarkmaan]

Or perhaps that guy was just a little... deformed...

[Watchman]

One often reads the Huns practiced decorative cranial deformation. It's not all that unusual a practice, turns up here and there around the world over history. IIRC the usual technique involved trying planks or something else suitable around the heads of infants early on when their bones are still all soft and springy and whatnot, so they ossify into the desired shape. I'd assume the brain, being the squishy thing it is, adapted readily enough to the treatment - if it had major negative side effects the practice would bviously die out pretty fast after all since you'd be lobotomizing about the whole upper strata of the society...

[Marshal Murat]

What about adaptations to connect brain to nervous system. I know it connects to the spine, and then spreads out. However, would the body know to create more nerve cells, and other body parts to accomodate for the elongated head?

[Watchman]

Eh, those connections are in the bottom part aren't they ? Decorative deformation doesn't touch them AFAIK, and probably can't either. Look at that skull up there, and you'll notice the deformation has clearly been done to the upper parts of the skull where there isn't annoying stuff (say, the neck) in the way.

[Incongruous]

I had heard that it was actually practised by those peoples under Hunnic control, in order to emulate their overlords asiatic features.

[Orda Khan]

Cranial deformation has been widely practiced throughout history, as Watchman states, even in 17thC mid France apparently. The Flathead Native American tribe used to bind wood to the heads of infants in order to achieve flattening of the skull. The skull in the picture belongs to a Hun woman and it is one of many similarly deformed skulls that have been discovered. The elongation is achieved by head binding.
Here is the dilema; not all Hun finds contain evidence of this practice so it is hard to understand the reasons. The Sarmatians have been linked to the same practice so there are many theories. Perhaps the Huns adopted some Sarmatian culture from the tribes they conquered? Perhaps it was only Sarmatian descendants who carried on the head binding? Maybe the Sarmatians adopted Hun practices? Could these be the skulls of an Elite class? There have also been Gothic remains displaying evidence of cranial deformation so the best we can do is guess

......Orda

[Kagemusha]

Maybe it was indeed only custom of the elite.In another culture where skull flattening was popular,Mayas.It was mostly the children of Elite that went through the process.

[Watchman]

Well, the social elites were usually the only ones who could spare the time and effort for that sort of vanity anyway. The commoners tended to be too busy not starving.

'Sides, what sort of status symbol would it be if everyone did it ?

[Strike For The South]

The Karankawas did this in TEXAS they also ate people this was of course before granpappy told them to convert or die

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

They died

[Vladimir]

The Incas as well; plus they did the cross-eyed thing.

[Marshal Murat]

Non-European societies seem to have enjoyed this.
Africans, Aztecs, Native Americans, Chinese, Huns, and maybe even Europeans but I don't have any idea if they did it.

[Mooks]

Gah, can you imagine having a deformed head like that?

I dont blame the romans for being afraid of them. They mustv looked like aliens.

[Dion]

Perhaps this is why the Roman were terrified of them. Was this usual? Did it have any effects on brain functions?[/QUOTE]

this are Paracas skulls from southamerica

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Apparently it was practiced by numerous groups.

It would seem that any resulting damage is likely the product of the degree of deformation induced. Source

Interestingly, the types of lobe damage that would first occur would be to the frontal lobes -- normally associated with self-restraint, self-monitoring, innovation, etc. Might actually lend a bit of biological support for reported "excesses" associated with some barbarian cultures.