SCARIFICATION 2

Description

In Sudan, scarification is an ancient practice that was once commonplace among African tribes. It involves marking the skin, mainly to identify tribal affiliation or as a symbol of attractiveness 1. Among the Nuba in Sudan, scarification traditionally indicated social status and maturity; girls received successive marks at puberty, first menstruation, and after weaning their first child. Scars given to infants and young children identified them in specific ways or conferred protection