Stephanie,

See here: [archfami.ama-assn.org].

This fascinating (and vaguely revolting) article deals with artificial deformation of the skull as a cross-cultural practice. By the way, Prema, The Tamil jewels are lovely, and remind me, at least superficially, of some of the heavy Egyptian ear-rings or ear-plugs in use from the late middle to Late NK and on (although I believe earrings appear in the FIP as well). Many of these look brutally heavy - as I am sure they were -- and the mummies of Egyptian women often show a similarly distended earlobe. I believe the mummy of Thuya, among others, shows this deformation but I cannot find a photigraph good enough to show it. Some of these ear decorations were remarkably beautiful, but I cannot imagine how uncomfortable they must have been to wear. Oh well, vanitas vanitatum.

Lee