The Toulouse skull*

English Translation:

All people practiced intentional cranial deformation, from Prehistoric times up until the early 20th century. While this practice is commonly associated with pre-Columbian civilizations, many records of intentional cranial deformation have been found in Europe, especially in the Toulouse region.

Few of our fellow citizens know today that their country was one of the last in the world where newborns underwent these voluntary bodily modifications, continuing until the 1920s. What motivated these deformers? What was the origin of this custom? What techniques did they use? What were the consequences of these practices, particularly on brain growth and cognition? This book compiles all currently available data on Toulouse deformations and raises pressing questions: the weight of tradition in the willingness to inflict suffering on others, perceptions of child welfare, and the understanding of cranial growth in relation to the environment. The author draws on current literature and 15 years of research in the ‘Form and Growth of the Skull’ laboratory (Necker Children’s Hospital, AP-HP, Université Paris Cité) by his team, in collaboration with the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, the Toulouse Museum, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London (UK). This book is the first comprehensive work on intentional cranial deformation in France and will interest maxillofacial surgeons, anthropologists, and anyone intrigued by this extraordinary and lesser-known chapter of European cultural history.

Roman Hossein Khonsari

Cranial deformation is an ancient practice applied to infants. In Toulouse, this tradition continued until the dawn of World War I, earning it the name “Toulouse deformation.”

They are not from Mars or a Hollywood movie. These strange elongated skulls lying in the basement of the Toulouse Museum are indeed human… and even from Toulouse! They are the result of intentional cranial deformation on infants, a widespread practice up until the 19th century, particularly in our region, which gave it a name: “Toulouse deformation.”

“Let’s not be mistaken, these deformations are not specifically unique to Toulouse,” explains Bertrand de Viviès, director of the Gaillac museums and author of works on the subject. “It carries this name because the first Parisian anthropologists interested in the topic in the 19th century conducted their observations in Toulouse hospitals and asylums.”

The Toulouse Skull is a work co-funded by the Jean Delaire Institute – Institut Jean Delaire

Photo Credit: Fonds Trutat, Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle de Toulouse.

Source: La Dépêche

Source: la dépêche