Craniometry

Craniometry is measurement of the cranium (the main part of the <a href="/facts/Skull/A9Wp63Np">skull</a>), usually the <a href="/facts/Human_skull/A9Wp63Np">human cranium</a>. It is a subset of <a href="/facts/Cephalometry/LjUtT7RU">cephalometry</a>, measurement of the head, which in humans is a subset of <a href="/facts/Anthropometry/VNqz4MR3">anthropometry</a>, measurement of the <a href="/facts/Human_body/WP1QbDTn">human body</a>. It is distinct from <a href="/facts/Phrenology/Te2TYuQA">phrenology</a>, the pseudoscience that tried to link personality and character to head shape, and <a href="/facts/Physiognomy/LUQqr5PY">physiognomy</a>, which tried the same for facial features. 
Today, physical and forensic anthropologists use craniometry to study the evolution of human populations, determining the origin of ancient remains such as the <a href="/facts/Kennewick_Man/An5QGryU">Kennewick Man</a>.
There is a rift between forensic and biological anthropologists in the use of race in craniometry, with biological anthropologists attempting to disprove any theory of biological race, compared to how many forensic anthropologists make inquiries based on societally-created racial categories. It was once intensively practised in <a href="/facts/Biological_anthropology/jAERMuwq">physical anthropology</a> in the 19th and the first part of the 20th century. Theories attempting to <a href="/facts/Scientific_racism/Ug4j9v93">scientifically justify the segregation of society based on race</a> became popular at this time, one of their prominent figures being <a href="/facts/Georges_Vacher_de_Lapouge/H3xDfKYN">Georges Vacher de Lapouge</a> (1854–1936), who divided <a href="/facts/Human/rlcTENsr">humanity</a> into various, hierarchized, different "<a href="/facts/Race_(classification_of_human_beings)/cDPnrdXn">races</a>", spanning from the "<a href="/facts/Aryan/9qU7xRQ2">Aryan</a> white race, <a href="/facts/Dolichocephalic/uLJUj6Xg">dolichocephalic</a>" (from the <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek/LIK7NlUh">Ancient Greek</a> kephalê, head, and dolikhos, long and thin), to the "<a href="/facts/Brachycephalic/11gRxUS4">brachycephalic</a>" (short and broad-headed) race. On the other hand, craniometry was also used as evidence against the existence of a "<a href="/facts/Nordic_race/a8CeCSIT">Nordic race</a>" and also by <a href="/facts/Franz_Boas/v1ot8CTw">Franz Boas</a> who used the <a href="/facts/Cephalic_index/NgITtuv5">cephalic index</a> to show the influence of environmental factors. <a href="/facts/Charles_Darwin/uwDLGItY">Charles Darwin</a> used craniometry and the study of <a href="/facts/Skeleton/FXc9Y2lF">skeletons</a> to demonstrate his <a href="/facts/Theory_of_evolution/TuWap5IK">theory of evolution</a> first expressed in <a href="/facts/On_the_Origin_of_Species/zTMxkKVY">On the Origin of Species</a> (1859). A few studies claim that forensic anthropologists can correctly identify the perceived social race of an individual with rates from 81-99% accuracy depending on the craniometric data, the number of variables used, the populations, and the type of analysis.
Quite separately, certain artists from the 15th century onward made measurements of heads and skulls with a view to attaining greater accuracy in their representation of those parts of the human frame. <a href="/facts/Bernard_Palissy/JeUeYmYk">Bernard Palissy</a> and <a href="/facts/Albrecht_D%25C3%25BCrer/N38jX769">Albrecht Dürer</a> were pioneers in such researches.

Craniometry open-in-new

Craniometry