Three-fingered ‘alien mummies’ discovered in Peru have largely been dismissed as a hoax by the scientific community, but a new study suggests otherwise.
A recent image analysis of one of the humanoids named “Maria” found that it has biological similarities to a human, but with “many structural morphological and anatomical differences.”
The creature’s bones were observed to flow smoothly beneath the mummified carcass, in a manner found throughout the human body, and its elongated skull showed no signs of artificial cranial deformation.
The team was also able to date the mummy to between 240 AD and 383 AD, “indicating its coexistence with the ancient Nazca civilization,” they shared in the study.
Three-fingered ‘alien mummies’ discovered in Peru have largely been dismissed as a hoax by the scientific community, but a new study suggests otherwise. A new study analyzed one of the mummies named Maria
Maria, labeled M01, was one of six mummies found inside the tomb in Nazca, a city in southern Peru, in 2017; A nine-month-old boy and four boys were also discovered.
Journalist and ufologist Jaime Maussan found the mummies and has paraded many of them in front of the Mexican Congress, stating that they are extraterrestrial beings that once walked the Earth.
While Maussan has not given up his story, experts are certain that the mummies are nothing more than dolls manipulated by tomb robbers.
In 2018, a year after the discovery was announced, scientists concluded, from at least four independent analyzes of DNA samples and other mummy materials, that these were modified pre-Columbian mummies.
But the claims haven’t stopped Maussan and other researchers.
The latest study was carried out by a team of Peruvian researchers who performed different tests on María.
The team performed an examination under magnification, allowing them to look inside and see that the mummy lacked hair and external ears: it only had openings in the ear canals.
“The most notable characteristic of the skull is its significant elongation, without external signs of cranial compression by external agents,” reads the study published in the journal Journal of Social and Environmental Management.
‘Specifically, it is the cranial vault that shows atypical growth and development, resembling a dolichocephalic phenotype.
“In addition, the cranial volume is 30 percent larger than that of a normal human being.”
Scans of the creature inside revealed it had bulging eyes and protruding upper and lower jaws.
While experts have not given up on their story, other scientists are sure that the mummies are nothing more than dolls manipulated by tomb robbers.
The elongated skull showed no signs of artificial cranial deformation and was 30 percent larger than that of a normal human.
The width of the bones in the palm of the wrist and the base parts of the three fingers had a smooth and uniform transition, which, according to the team, makes the hands appear as wide as a human’s, but twenty centimeters longer.
Maria was missing six teeth and the rest were very worn down: she was also missing three wisdom teeth.
However, the team noted that “the most striking and unusual features of the humanoid body are found in its hands and feet.”
The width of the bones in the palm of the wrist and the base parts of the three fingers had a smooth and uniform transition, which, according to the team, makes the hands appear as wide as a human’s, but twenty centimeters longer.
“In particular, each finger on the hand has four phalanges, unlike the three phalanges of a normal human being,” the researchers explained in the study.
The foot bones flowed smoothly to the three toes and were similar in width to a human foot, but were much longer, nine inches.
“At the level of the toes, four phalanges are also observed in each of the three fingers, while in normal human beings there are normally only three phalanges per finger,” the study reads.
Compared to a normal human foot, Maria’s calcaneal bone, which forms the heel, shows a different shape and structure.
Image analysis also determined that the creature suffered from arthritis in its hands and feet, as well as a damaged spine.
The specimen lacks a large bulge on the foot that helps it support the weight of the body and maintain balance when standing on two feet. This suggested that he walked hunched over to remain stable.
Typically, the human calcaneal bones have a large bulge at the back that helps support the weight of the body and maintain balance when standing on two feet.
Maria, however, is missing a large bulge, suggesting that she walked hunched over to remain stable.
One aspect of Mary that Maussan has proclaimed is that she was pregnant when she was mummified.
The new study found that the mummy was “impregnated with a white powder,” known as diatomaceous earth, which is made from the fossilized remains of microscopic algae.
The natural dust is not harmful to humans, but is used in insecticides because it kills insects by dehydration.
“From the analysis of surface morphological and tomographic images, it is concluded that specimen M01 is a desiccated humanoid body with a biological architecture similar to that of humans,” the researchers wrote.
Image analysis also determined that the creature suffered from arthritis in its hands and feet, as well as spinal damage.
“The M01 specimen, based on the morphoanatomical characteristics of its pelvic bone structure, is compatible with a gynecoid pelvis and would correspond to a female individual,” the researchers wrote.
«However, at the cranial level, it presents android (typically male) features, characterized by prominent cranial protuberances such as the glabella, the external occipital protuberance, the mastoid processes and notably thick cranial bones.
“From superficial analysis of morphological and tomographic images, it is concluded that specimen M01 is a desiccated humanoid body with a biological architecture similar to that of humans, but exhibiting numerous structural differences and morphological and anatomical singularities.”