Archaeologists have discovered the skeletons of three women with elongated skulls on the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. The remains date back to the 11th century.
DNA analysis revealed that one of the women was between 25 and 30 years old at the time of her death, while the second was between 55 and 60. The age of the third woman has not been disclosed by the researchers.
German scientists Matthias Toplak from the Viking Museum in Haithabu and Lukas Kerk from the University of Münster, who studied this unusual find, believe that such skull deformation is quite rare among Vikings. Nevertheless, it appears that some women in Scandinavia underwent this kind of “plastic surgery” a thousand years ago.
This anatomical feature may have signified a certain status or affiliation with a specific social group. It could also have been an indicator of physical attractiveness.
Most likely, the skulls were modified during the first year of the women’s lives when their bones were still soft and pliable. To shape the skull, the infants’ heads were wrapped in cloth.
Theories
From time to time, remains of individuals with deformed heads have been found in the Black Sea region, as well as among representatives of Mesoamerican, Indigenous, and Eurasian cultures. However, such peculiar skulls have been discovered in Viking burials for the first time, according to the Daily Mail.
“We don’t know where these three women grew up or where their heads were deformed,” said Matthias Toplak, the lead researcher. “It’s unclear whether their heads were deformed in early childhood in the Black Sea region and how they ended up in Gotland,” he added.
Considering that Gotland was a trade center during that era, this find may indicate connections between the Vikings and inhabitants of a region where the practice of skull elongation was common.
The researchers suggested that artificial cranial deformation (ACD) was likely used to distinguish certain women from others and could indicate that these women traveled.
While this peculiar feature might have been seen as a symbol of beauty, it is much more likely that it was “viewed as evidence of trade contacts with distant regions, and thus a sign of influence and success in commerce,” said Dr. Toplak.
“The human body is a means of communication. It can convey messages in a functionally complex, structured way,” the researchers noted.
What about tooth filing?
The analysis of the female remains has captivated researchers, as it represents a unique discovery in Viking burial practices. However, it’s worth mentioning another significant and extensive find made by archaeologists during their expedition to Gotland: 130 skeletons of men from the same period with grooves on their teeth.
Scientists explained that the practice of tooth filing was used to identify certain groups of men. This procedure could also have been part of an initiation ritual.
Not just Scandinavians
Tooth filing and skull deformation have been widespread practices around the world at various times. For example, in Mayan burials in Mexico, filed teeth with implanted gemstones have been repeatedly found.
In the early 20th century, residents of Toulouse, France, practiced ACD, using bandages to intentionally alter the shape of children’s skulls. Researchers referred to this phenomenon as “Toulouse deformation” or “bando.”
Some inhabitants of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu still deform their skulls to resemble the god Ambat. He is typically depicted with an elongated head and a long nose. Islanders believe that people with long heads are more beautiful and wiser.
The results of the study on the ancient inhabitants of Gotland were published in the journal Current Swedish Archaeology.