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[WARNING: The following list includes unsettling imagery.] Archaeological evidence reveals that humans have been altering their bodies in fascinating ways for centuries. Body modification remains prevalent today, ranging from common practices like ear piercings and tattoos to more extreme forms, with certain cultures taking it even further.
Body modification has been embraced by a variety of cultures throughout history, with some taking the practice to more intense extremes than others. These ten examples highlight some of the most captivating cultural body modifications.
10. Neck Elongation
Neck elongation involves the gradual addition of rings around a woman's neck during different stages of her life to meet a cultural standard of beauty. The rings, stacked over time, create the visual illusion of a longer neck. Rather than physically lengthening the neck, they shift the clavicle and ribs downward, giving the appearance of a lengthened neck.
Over time, the weight of the rings causes the collarbone and upper ribs to twist and lower by 45º from their natural position. Neck elongation is practiced in both African and Asian cultures, with the Kayan Lahwi Tribe in Myanmar being particularly renowned for this tradition.
Girls in the Kayan community begin wearing brass collars between the ages of two and five. As they grow, additional rings are added, causing the bones to deform and creating the optical illusion of a longer neck. The practice was first introduced to the Western world by Marco Polo, who documented it in 1300 AD.
This body modification is permanent. Although the rings can be removed, doing so improperly can be fatal. Removal typically causes significant pain, making the addition of rings a permanent commitment for most women.
9. Lip Plates
While it’s common in Western cultures to stretch earlobes with progressively larger gauges, this practice has deeper roots. In certain African cultures, increasingly larger discs, made from materials such as clay or wood, are inserted into a pierced lower (or sometimes upper) lip until a large lip plate is worn.
This practice was independently developed at least six times in regions such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mesoamerica, and Ecuador, with evidence of its origins in Africa dating back to as early as 8700 BC. The tradition of lip plates persists in various parts of the world, though it remains most prevalent in Ethiopia.
Among the Mursi and Surma people living in the lower Omo River valley, the process typically begins six to twelve months before marriage, usually around the ages of 15 to 18. This is when the lip is first pierced and a wooden peg is inserted.
As time progresses, the wooden peg is replaced by progressively larger ones, eventually leading to the insertion of a plate. The size of the plate varies based on several factors, with the largest ever recorded in 2014 measuring 23.4 inches (59.5 cm) in circumference and 7.6 inches (19.5 cm) in width.
8. Blackening & Filing Teeth
The Bagobo people, an ancient tribe from the Southern Philippines' Mindanao region, have lived in the area for centuries and are credited with introducing Hinduism to the region. While many have adapted to modern life, some still uphold traditional practices, such as sharpening and blackening their teeth as part of a rite of passage for young Bagobo.
When a Bagobo youth reaches puberty, their teeth are filed by placing their head against the person performing the procedure. They bite down on a stick, and the teeth are filed down until only the stumps remain, ending in a sharp point.
After the filing is completed, the teeth are darkened to finish the process. To achieve this, a powder made from a tree or black smoke passed through bamboo is applied to the teeth, giving them a blackened appearance.
During this entire procedure, the individual undergoing the treatment is forbidden from drinking water or eating sour food. They are also not allowed to attend any funerals, so their altered teeth do not cause offense.
7. Circumcision
While today many consider circumcision to be a simple medical procedure, it has a deep cultural history and is, in fact, a form of body modification. Circumcision involves the removal of the prepuce, the skin covering the tip of the penis, and is often regarded as a form of genital mutilation.
Circumcision is most commonly performed shortly after birth. In many Western hospitals, it is often carried out on infants without any specific cultural or religious reasons. However, the practice is deeply ingrained in history and has been carried out by various cultures worldwide.
The practice of circumcision and other forms of genital mutilation began in eastern Africa around 3,000 B.C. It is believed that the foreskin, being the primary site of male sexual sensation, was removed as a symbolic sacrifice of earthly pleasure for the promise of a better afterlife.
This ancient tradition was passed down through Jewish customs, with circumcision of newborn boys occurring on the eighth day after birth. In Judaism, circumcision is viewed as a commandment that honors the covenant between Abraham and God.
6. Scarification
Tattooing is one of the oldest forms of body modification, but a similar process known as scarification also creates permanent images on the skin. This process involves cutting, branding, scratching, or etching designs into the skin, resulting in permanent scars in the desired shape.
There are several reasons why someone might choose scarification over tattooing, many of which have cultural significance. These can include rites of passage, religious practices, or social customs. Scarification is particularly common in dark-skinned cultures, as the scars are more visible than traditional tattoos.
Scarification has been practiced by numerous cultures across history for various purposes. It is most commonly seen in sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa, and East Africa, with notable examples including the Gonja, Tiv, and Maasai peoples.
Despite the method used, scarification carries greater risks than tattooing. The skin endures more trauma, significantly increasing the chance of infection. Additionally, the procedure requires more time to complete, as healing must occur between each treatment.
5. Fingertip Removal—Dani Village, New Guinea
Fingertip removal has been practiced in several cultures throughout history, with members of the Yakuza being one of the most widely known groups. Another group that engages in this practice is the secretive Dani tribe, who live deep within the jungles of Indonesia.
In the event of a loved one's death, female members of the tribe undergo a ritual called Ikipalin, where the upper half of their fingers is amputated. This act is believed to keep the restless spirit of the deceased from disturbing the family.
The amputation symbolizes the sorrow of losing a loved one, and the practice extends beyond adult women. In some cases, mothers may even bite off the fingertips of their infants to involve them in the ritual.
Although the Indonesian government has prohibited fingertip removal, it is thought to continue among certain groups in Western New Guinea. Older women, often found with missing parts of their fingers, provide evidence that Ikipalin is still practiced in some regions of the country.
4. Genital Beading
Genital Beading, also known as Pearling, is a form of body modification that is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia around the early 1400s. A notable practice of Pearling was performed by members of the Yakuza, who inserted a single pearl for every year they spent in prison.
Pearling is the practice of permanently embedding small beads under the skin of the genitals. Most commonly performed by men who insert pearls along the shaft of the penis, women have also been known to insert them beneath the skin of the labia. People typically engage in this practice to enhance sexual pleasure during vaginal or anal intercourse.
Historically, pearls were the material of choice, which is how the term 'Pearling' originated. However, various materials such as gold, ivory, Teflon, surgical steel, titanium, and silicon are now used for safety, particularly for permanent body insertion.
Today, Filipino sailors are known for practicing Pearling, often to gain favor with prostitutes. According to one Filipino seaman, "Filipino seamen are famous for them… that’s why they [women in port] like us, why they keep asking for us. When they hear that Filipinos are coming, they’re happy."
3. Head Shaping
Head Shaping, or artificial cranial deformation, is an ancient form of body modification that involved altering the shape of the skull through methods like flattening or binding. This practice could only occur before the fontanel—the soft spot on an infant’s skull—closed during the natural growth process.
Head shaping is an ancient practice that predates written history, with evidence found in the bones of Proto-Neolithic humans dating back to 9000 BC. Skulls from this time show signs of being elongated into nearly conical shapes.
The earliest recorded mention of head shaping comes from the writings of Hippocrates, who referred to the Macrocephali (long-heads) as those who practiced it around 400 BC. In the Americas, the Maya, Incas, and some Native American tribes reshaped their children’s heads as well.
In France, head shaping was practiced until the late 19th century. Infants’ heads were tightly bound with bandages for two to four months, after which a fitted basket was used, reinforced with metal threads as the child grew.
The people of Vanuatu, specifically on Tommen Island, continued the practice of head binding into the 20th century, though it has largely been abandoned in the 21st century.
2. Foot Binding
Foot binding was a Chinese tradition where a young girl's feet were tightly wrapped to change their shape and size over time. It is thought to have started in the 10th century among upper-class dancers but grew in popularity during the Song dynasty. By the time of the Qing dynasty, it became widespread across all social classes in China.
The bound feet were considered beautiful and were known as 'lotus feet.' There were several methods to achieve this, but the result was often the same: the feet became smaller, with the toes pressed unnaturally under the arch.
The process typically began before the foot’s arch had fully formed, with girls as young as four starting in winter. To numb the feet, they were soaked in a mixture of herbs and animal blood. The nails were clipped back, and the feet were tightly wrapped in bandages until the toes were broken.
After the toes broke, they were forced against the sole of the foot, and the arch was then broken as well. The process was repeated over several years, gradually reshaping the foot. Thankfully, foot binding ended in the 20th century.
1. Female Genital Mutilation
In contrast to male circumcision, which merely reduces a man's sexual pleasure, female genital mutilation is aimed at eradicating it entirely. This procedure involves the partial or full removal of the clitoral hood, the clitoral glans, the inner and outer labia, and a partial closure of the vulva, leaving only a small opening for urine and menstrual blood to pass through.
Although female genital mutilation is widely regarded as a brutal practice, it continues to affect an estimated 200 million women in regions across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
The origins of female genital mutilation are not entirely clear, but it is thought to have been practiced as early as ancient Egypt’s Middle Kingdom around 2050 B.C. There is evidence from hieroglyphics that suggest its presence, although no evidence has been found in mummies from that period.
It is known that the practice continued in Egypt into the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Pilio of Alexandria recorded that 'the Egyptians by the custom of their country circumcise the marriageable youth and maid in the fourteenth (year) of their age when the male begins to get seed, and the female to have a menstrual flow.'
