Macrocephali

The Macrocephali (Ancient Greek: Μακροκέφαλοι; "long-headed people") were ancient tribes of Africans or Indians who performed artificial cranial deformation.^[1]^[2]

Some ancient authors mention such tribes also at Caucasus and in the north-east of Pontus (region).^[3]

Their cultural practice of artificially shaping the skulls of their children was mentioned by Hesiod, Hippocrates,^[4] Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder, Valerius Flaccus, Xenophon, Strabo, and Eustathius.

References

^ "Macrocephali". Theoi Greek Mythology. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
^ Museum of Foreign Literature, Science and Arts. E. Littell. 1842. p. 612.
^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Macrocephali
^ Hippocrates of Cos (1923) [ca. 400 BC] Airs, Waters, and Places, Part 14, e.g., Loeb Classic Library Vol. 147, pp. 110-111 (W. H. S. Jones, transl., DOI: 10.4159/DLCL.hippocrates_cos-airs_waters_places.1923, see [1]. Alternatively, the Adams 1849 and subsequent English editions (e.g., 1891), The Genuine Works of Hippocrates (Francis Adams, transl.), New York, NY, USA: William Wood, at the [MIT] Internet Classics Archive (Daniel C. Stevenson, compiler), see [2]. Alternatively, the Clifton 1752 English editions, "Hippocrates Upon Air, Water, and Situation; Upon Epidemical Diseases; and Upon Prognosticks, In Acute Cases especially. To which is added…" Second edition, pp. 22-23 (Francis Clifton, transl.), London, GBR: John Whiston and Benj. White; and Lockyer Davis, see [3]. All web versions accessed 1 August 2015.