Scientists uncover more information about the ‘alien’ skull found in Argentina (Photo: Provincial Directorate of Anthropology / Catamarca Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports)
While installing a water pipe in Argentina in late May, workers accidentally made an impressive archaeological discovery: a skull of an ‘alien.’
Archaeologists quickly discovered that the so-called ‘alien’ was actually a 3-4-year-old child buried in the region 700 years ago. However, little was known about the strange shape of its head until then.
The flattening at the back of the skull is simply the result of the cultural practice of skull shaping, as explained by Cristian Sebastián Melián, director of the Provincial Directorate of Anthropology in Catamarca, Argentina.
The Provincial Directorate of Anthropology has a collection of 100 skulls, many of which have similar modifications. “Approximately 90%” of the skulls found “have a tabular upright or oblique shape,” Melián told LiveScience via email.
According to him, the practice of skull shaping was quite common at the time. These cranial modifications date back thousands of years and have been recorded around the world.
Some cultures used pieces of cloth wrapped around the baby’s head to create an elongated shape, while others applied stuffing to the front or back of the baby’s head to create a flatter shape.
The skull of the child recently found in Argentina was likely shaped with padding to promote the “oblique tabular” shape. As a result, the skull became flat at the front and back, while the sides became wider.
Though it may seem alarming from a modern perspective, most scholars agree that the practice had virtually no negative health effects. Instead, experts suggest that it was linked to social identity or child-rearing preferences.
Photo: Provincial Directorate of Anthropology / Catamarca Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
