A pair of archaeologists working at a dig site in an ancient cemetery in western Iran have discovered the skull of a young girl that shows evidence of cranial modification. In their paper published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, Mahdi Alirezazadeh and Hamed Vahdati Nasab describe where the skull was found, its condition, the modifications they observed and the likely way its owner died.

Cranial modification has been found in many ancient civilizations—it was typically done by wrapping the head of a child tightly as they grew to adulthood. The practice was done for different reasons in different cultures, and has been seen more often in girls than in boys.

The skull that is the focus of this new study was found buried in a cemetery along with many other skeletons at a dig site known as Chega Sofla. The cemetery has been found to have many single as well as communal graves, some of which include family members and some of which have cranial modifications. Work at the site has been going on for more than a decade, and in addition to learning about the people buried there, the team also uncovered what turned out to be the oldest-known tomb made from brick.