Two methods of intentional cranial modification from Early Holocene Songhuajiang in Northeast China

Since its appearance at the terminal Pleistocene, intentional cranial modification ("ICM") and its implications have generated considerable scientific debate regarding how or why such a tradition arose. Here, we report on newly discovered human ICM crania from the Songhuajiang area in Northeast China, dating to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. The materials include three partially damaged cranial specimens - PA1688 (11,641 - 11,270 cal BP), TPA2401 (11,825 - 11,601 cal BP) and TPA2402 (11,245 - 11,179 cal BP). Geometric morphometric analyses effectively distinguished modified and unmodified individuals, in addition to partially identifying variation in different modification types. PA1688 presents a typical tabular type, while TPA2401 and TPA2402 display traits of the annular type, a type not previously reported in this region. During the Early Holocene two types of ICM coexisted in the Songhuajiang region; a tradition that persisted for nearly 1,000 years. Further, there was no significant difference in the strontium isotope ratios between individuals with the different ICM. These results are consistent with two different ICM methods being practiced by local individuals in the Harbin region during the terminal Pleistocene-Holocene period, with no evidence linking either type to individuals of non-local origin.