Dimensional Changes in the Skulls of Ancient Children with Age in Xinjiang, China

Abstract

Many scholars have conducted research on the growth patterns of children’s skulls in terms of skull size, head circumference, cranial cavity volume, and so forth. This study compared and analyzed 20 skull measurement indexes of different ages from skulls of 38 children (aged 2–15 years) and 87 adult females (20–40 years) at the Zaghunluq cemetery in Xinjiang, China, to determine how the size of ancient children’s skulls changed with age. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences between the six age groups (2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–11, 12–15 years, and adults [20–40 years]) in terms of metrical cranial traits, cranial area, and cranial cavity volume. Results indicate that the skull kept growing from ages 3–5, 12–15, and adults, implying that the skull sizes of ancient children in Xinjiang continued to increase with age. In addition, the study revealed that children aged 12–15 had skulls that were significantly smaller than those of adults. This finding showed that the skulls of ancient children in Xinjiang were not fully developed at the age of 15. Notably, differences existed between age groups in both developmental traits of the cranium and the rates at which the skull changed.