The Maya were a smaller race of people with dark skin, dark eyes and straight black hair, but to them what was considered physically beautiful was not the way they were born, but a long sloping forehead and slightly crossed-eyes.
The Mayas prized a long sloping forehead. It is thought that this is because it resembled an ear of corn – not only the staple of their diets,
The Maya would bind the newborn infant’s head between two boards for several days. The infant was tied on a board and then another board was attached at an angle. This then gradually increased the pressure on the baby’s head creating a deeply sloped forehead. It was common for a child to die from this process, but as the sloped head was considered extremely attractive, the parents ignored the risk and deformation continued. Whilst it was an extremely dangerous practice, it has been found that it had no effect on the intelligence of the child, as the brain has a great deal of plasticity in infancy and was able to accommodate itself to the new shape.
No comments:
Post a Comment