THE PERUVIAN SKULLS

Skulls are humanity's foremost symbol of death, and a powerful icon in the visual vocabularies of cultures all over the globe.
Many strangely "deformed" hominoid skulls have been discovered in Mexico and Peru. One of them, the Starchild skull found in Mexico, is currently the subject of scientific scrutiny and DNA testing.
Thirteen crystal skulls of apparently ancient origin have been found in parts of Mexico, Central America and South America, comprising one of the most fascinating subjects of 20th Century archaeology.

Dated over 2,000 years old, this skull is an extreme example of binding and elongation. Cranial binding is the shaping of the skull when a child is very young, usually an infant. This wrapping is often done with rope or cloth by itself or against a wooden board. This results in the misshaping, flattening or, in this case, elongation. This wrapping, or binding, is thought to be the oldest form of body modification, dating back 9,000 years. This particular skull is from Peru, but this practice has occurred in other regions as well. Additionally, this skull is trephinated, which has mostly healed.