cranial deformation

Archaeologists in Mexico have identified the first evidence of an unprecedented cranial deformation practice in the northern Huasteca region, revealing a distinctive square-shaped skull modification technique previously unknown at sites in this area. The remarkable discovery, made by specialists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), represents a significant breakthrough in understanding ancient Mesoamerican cultural practices and their regional variations. The skull belonged to a man over 40 years old who lived during the Mesoamerican Classic period, between 400 and 900 AD, in what is now the Balcón de Montezuma archaeological zone in Tamaulipas. Physical anthropologist Jesús Ernesto Velasco González confirmed this represents the first proof that intentional cranial deformation was practiced at this urban center, located in