TY - JOUR
T1 - Artificial cranial deformation in Pleistocene Australians
T2 - the Coobool Creek sample
AU - Durband, Arthur C.
PY - 2008/6
Y1 - 2008/6
N2 - Several authors have suggested that some Pleistocene Australian crania have been altered by artificial cranial deformation. The large sample from Coobool Creek has featured prominently in this debate. The present study reevaluates the evidence for artificial cranial deformation in this population using both a larger cranial sample and a more comprehensive set of measurements than those used in earlier work on this subject. Additionally, random expectation statistics are used to calculate statistical significance for these examinations. The results of this study agree with prior work indicating that a portion of this sample shows evidence for artificial deformation of the cranial vault. Many Coobool Creek crania display strong shape similarities with a population of known deformed individuals from New Britain. Coobool Creek crania 1, 41, 65, and 66 show the strongest evidence for deformation, but several other individuals from this sample also show clear evidence for culturally manipulated changes in cranial shape. This project provides added support for the argument that at least some Pleistocene Australian groups were practicing artificial cranial deformation.
AB - Several authors have suggested that some Pleistocene Australian crania have been altered by artificial cranial deformation. The large sample from Coobool Creek has featured prominently in this debate. The present study reevaluates the evidence for artificial cranial deformation in this population using both a larger cranial sample and a more comprehensive set of measurements than those used in earlier work on this subject. Additionally, random expectation statistics are used to calculate statistical significance for these examinations. The results of this study agree with prior work indicating that a portion of this sample shows evidence for artificial deformation of the cranial vault. Many Coobool Creek crania display strong shape similarities with a population of known deformed individuals from New Britain. Coobool Creek crania 1, 41, 65, and 66 show the strongest evidence for deformation, but several other individuals from this sample also show clear evidence for culturally manipulated changes in cranial shape. This project provides added support for the argument that at least some Pleistocene Australian groups were practicing artificial cranial deformation.
KW - Australia
KW - Multivariate analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=43249126755&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.10.013
DO - 10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.10.013
M3 - Article
C2 - 18243276
AN - SCOPUS:43249126755
VL - 54
SP - 795
EP - 813
JO - Journal of Human Evolution
JF - Journal of Human Evolution
SN - 0047-2484
IS - 6
ER -