The mummified elongated head of a newborn baby belonging to the ancient Paracas culture has been found in Peru. The finding is suggestive of a genetically elongated skull, since the process of artificial cranial deformation takes at least 6 months to produce the desired effect. Since more than 300 elongated skulls have been found over the years in Paracas, it is possible there was a race of people living there that were born with this curious feature.
The finding was announced by Brien Foerster of Hidden Inca Tours, who reports that the baby died approximately 2,000 to 2,800 years ago, and was between 0 and 3 months old. The hair of the baby has been preserved and, like many of the Paracas skulls that have been recovered, is auburn in color, which is inconsistent with the typical black color of the indigenous people. The vertebral column of the baby is further to the back of the skull than normal, which Foerster says “could well indicate an evolutionary adaptation to compensate for the elongated skull”.
The Paracas Skulls
Paracas is a desert peninsula located within Pisco Province on the south coast of Peru. It is here where Peruvian archaeologist, Julio Tello, made an amazing discovery in 1928 – a massive and elaborate graveyard containing tombs filled with the remains of individuals with the largest elongated skulls found anywhere in the world. These have come to be known as the ‘ Paracas skulls ’. In total, Tello found more than 300 of these elongated skulls, some of which date back around 3,000 years.