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5. Craniology of Egypt and adjacent regions: variability of size and shape of the cranial box

Craniology of Egypt and adjacent regions: variability of size and shape of the cranial box

Pestriacov A.P., Grigorieva O.M.

Institute of ethnology and anthropology of the RAS, Moscow

Pestryakov A.N., e-mail: labrecon@yandex.ru; Grigorieva O.M., e-mail: labrecon@yandex.ru

Abstract

The paper primarily deals with geographical and chronological variability of the cranial box of the populations of Egypt and adjacent territories. The measurements were taken from literature and analyzed using a specialized program developed and routinely utilized by the authors. We analyzed the variability of nine parameters characterizing cranial size and shape. Generally, the analyzed Egyptian population falls in between paneukumenical craniotipes – tropids and golarktids (closer to the first type): in average, the cranial vaults are of medium size, mezocranial and medium-high. The earliest (pre-dynastic) populations appears to have had oblong and high, always dolichocranial cranial, close to those of the modern Ethiopian and Somali populations. Later series (dynastic and antique periods) are typically characterized by lower and somewhat shorter cranial. Cranial index of the latter populations often increases towards mezocranial type, for example, in some groups of the third and later dynasties. Notably, such changes of the cranial shape of the Egyptian populations have been recorded since the early dynasties of the Old Kingdom, as if marking the developmental changes of the state, certainly related to more intensive cultural contacts with adjacent populations of Southwest Asia. As an inevitable consequence of this process, the mixing of ancient Egyptian population with the new migrants from Middle Eastern occurred, and it resulted in the aforementioned changes of the cranial features.

Keywords

craniology, craniotypes, tropids, pacifids, golarktids

Цит.: Pestriacov A.P., Grigorieva O.M. Craniology of Egypt and adjacent regions: variability of size and shape of the cranial box // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 4/2014; с. 112-118