"Alien Skull" Found in Peru is Most Likely a HoaxBy Julie KentThe so-called "alien skull" recently discovered in Peru might not be so alien after all. The skeletal structure features an oversized, triangular-shaped skull nearly as large as the being's small body, which have led many to conclude that it is not human and must therefore be an alien being from another planet. But even the man who discovered the remains insists that it is a human child with some type of deformity and not extraterrestrial life.
And:
The scientific community has long hypothesized that if alien life exists, it is unlikely to look similar to humans. Critics of the "alien skull" theory say that the skull could be that of a hydrocephalic child or a tribal member that underwent tribal rituals that involved skull modification, an ancient practice dating back thousands of years.
Artificial cranial deformation has been practices as far back as 45,000 BC when it was seen in Neanderthal skulls. It's also been traced back to the Proto-Neolithic Homo sapiens from the 12th millennium BCE. Ritual cranial deformation typically begins just after the birth of a child and over the course of the next few years until the desired shape is reached or the child rejects the apparatus used for modification. The practice was generally done to signify group affiliation or to demonstrate social status.
The recently discovered Peruvian skull has some similarities with skulls from the Andean Paracas culture. These skulls were deformed artificially.Comment: People want to believe that indigenous cultures are "alien." It frees the believers from 1) treating the cultures as equals and 2) feeling guilty over their past and present destruction.
For more on the subject, see
Indiana Jones and the Stereotypes of Doom.
Below: "Artificially deformed skulls from the Andean Paracas culture."
Well, more they want to think aliens built these ancient civilizations with the unfortunate implication that Indians are too stupid to have done so.
ReplyDeleteAlien life likely exists, but similar to humans? Highly unlikely. It's one thing to have another star system have a similar first billion years, but "similar to humans" requires the exact same first five billion years.
And seriously, there are a lot weirder body modificatioins out there than deforming the skull. Circumcision is pretty weird when you think about it.