Modification of one's body has followed us since the dawn of humankind, from foot binding and scarification to dental alignment and ear piercings. A study published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology in 2020 described dental anomalies on the skull of an archaic human specimen.
The foot binding of women in traditional China and the use of lip plates by the Mursi people of Ethiopia are some of the most famous examples of permanent body alterations. Artificial cranial deformation is a form of body modification that has been adopted throughout our history.
