Anthropology.net

Hat tip for Afarensis for finding the following paleoanthropology gem on the internet. In my opinion it is quite hard to find quality photos of fossil hominid skulls and this one can double as a mask to boot!

This fossil skull is commonly known as the Black Skull and identified as the species Australopithecus aethiopicus. From Footsteps Throughout Time,

Discovered near Lake Turkana, Africa, in 1985 by Richard Leakey, and reconstructed by Alan Walker, the Black Skull (KNM-WT 17000) is the most diagnostic specimen of Australopithecus aethiopicus ever found. It is referred to as the Black Skull because the manganese in the soil turned the bones black during mineralization. It has been dated to 2.5 million years ago.

The Black Skull is really fascinating because it shares early Australopithecus afarensis traits with later Australopithecus robustus traits, making it an unusual and important find. Because of its distinct morphology, the Black Skull is considered to be the earliest robust species to date. Like other australopithecines, A. aethiopicus may have had hominid characteristics such as the ability to walk bipedally.

And now the Black Skull!

I think most people would agree that their skulls are a priceless asset. But what artist Damien Hirst has done to the following skull has actually made a nondescript skull into one of the most expensive pieces of art ever.

The diamond encrusted skull is a product of Hirst’s artwork. It is estimated to be worth more than $50 million, maybe even $100 million! It is believed to come from the skeleton of a man who lived between 1720 and 1810. From Reuters,

“British artist Damien Hirst revealed his latest work of art at the White Cube Gallery in London, June 1, 2007. “For the Love of God” is a life-size cast of a human skull in platinum and covered by 8,601 pave-set diamonds weighing 1,106.18 carats. The single large diamond in the middle of the forehead is reportedly worth $4.2 million alone. Hirst financed the project himself, and estimates it cost between 10 and 15 million. Of course, it will cost someone a pretty penny toown the work: It’s priced at $99 million. But given the cultlike following for Hirst’s previous works — and corresponding financial takings — some hedge fund manager, and closet Hirst fan, may shell out the cash for the diamond-crusted skull.”

Hirst’s Diamond skulls represents a curious intersection for me. One where archaeology is inspiring modern art. There are quite a lot of examples of bejeweled skulls in the archaeological record. Now, I don’t know for sure if Hirst’s inspiration for this work stemmed from the prevalence of jeweled skulls in the archaeological record. And I understand his skull is just a cast. But, I think it is notable that Hirst has taken something that has been done in many cultures throughout many different times and reproduced it into popular and profitable art.

One example of jeweled skulls in the fossil record is the one of a woman from Ur that unfortunately got looted from Iraq’s National Museum several years ago. It has not yet been recovered nor can I find an image of it. I do, however, have a photograph of a jade encrusted skull from Oaxaca, Mexico — specifically from the Monte Alban Tomb 7 Museum. This skull was formerly at the convent in Iglesias Santo Domingo.

And from the blog, Mosiac Art Source, I found an image of the Mosaic mask of Tezcatlipoca, originally uploaded by Nolan Willis. Here’s a description of the skull,

The Skull of the Smoking Mirror

This mask is believed to represent the god Tezcatlipoca, one of the Aztec creator gods. He was also the god of rulers, warriors and sorcerers. His name can be translated as ‘Smoking Mirror’. In fact, in many depictions during the Postclassic period (A.D. 900/1000-1521) his foot is replaced by a mirror.

The base for this mask is a human skull. Alternate bands of turquoise and lignite mosaic work cover the front of the skull. The eyes are made of two discs of iron pyrites set in rings made of shell. The back of the skull has been cut away and lined with leather. The jaw is movable and hinged on the leather.

Turquoise was sent as tribute to the Aztec capital from several provinces of the empire.

Lastly, I have an very tiny image of inlade jade and turquoise stones inside the teeth of a Mayan skull from the ninth century. Unlike the skulls above, inlaying jewels inside teeth was practiced on living Mayans at the time. This was not done after death.

Although I have only shown you mostly examples of jeweled skulls from Mesoamerican cultures, I hope you do trust that examples of jewel encrusted skulls also have been found from archaeological digs from ancient China and Mesopotamia. I just can’t find images of them on the internets. I would even argue that the golden masks that covered the mummies of Egyptian pharoahs fall under the jewelled skulls.

So what’s it with skulls and adorning them with precious metals and stones? Is the skull considered the center of being in many cultures? No, not necessarily. Many cultures consider other parts of the human body central to existance, such as the gut in many Asian cultures. My best guess is that accross cultures and times, people subconciously consider the skull the home of humanity. It is where our words come from and our emotions are shown. And what would better a way to embrace that for eterinity than to inlay precious jewels and metals?

What’s your best guess?

Courtesy of Wired through InstaPundit, is this remarkable photo of a Mursi tribesman in Southern Ethiopia with an iPod as well as his trusty AK-47 and ethnic getup.

I’m not sharing this to make a freak show out of this site, but rather to document an interesting phenomenon — where high technology meets traditional life in East Africa. I doubt Steve Jobs really imagined a tribesman would be iPodding it up — I for one never thought of it.

An image of daily village activity of the Surma, from here.