'Alien' Skulls Found In China Finally Explained: They Are Not Extraterrestrial

Scientists have concluded that the oddly-shaped skulls that were discovered in China are not alien in origin.

The elongated skulls were discovered 2011 and 2015 in tombs found at the Neolithic Houtaomuga digging site in Jilin. Archaeologists found 25 individual skulls, 11 of which were oddly shaped. The discovery led to some conclusion that the strange skulls were actually alien in origin.

But according to a new report, the skulls are actually human and that they are one of the earliest evidence that man has been trying to manipulate the shape of their own head. Per the conclusion, the process is called artificial cranial deformation and it is something that was being done since 12,000 years ago.

Based on initial studies conducted by scientists from the Jilin University School of Archeology, the early settlers on northeastern China were actually purposefully reshaping their heads via a practice that has been around for thousands of years. This method, which is also known as situ practice, remains a mystery since there is no clear purpose as to why the early Chinese did it. However, some speculate that this could be a sign of social status.

“The area as part of Northeast Asia has arguably served as a center for the radiation of human populations to territories beyond northern China, such as central China, the Korean Peninsula, the Japanese archipelago, eastern Siberia, and possibly the American continents. Therefore, the new materials found at the Neolithic Houtaomuga Site in Northeastern China may hold secrets about the origin, diffusion, and meaning of intentional cranial modification," the paper revealed.

According to the study, the skulls which are now being referred to as “xenomorphs” were performed in infancy by applying subtle pressure to a baby's skull which affects the way it grows. The head is then wrapped tightly with a cloth and even shaped with boards. What’s interesting to note is that the practice had no effect on the cognitive function of the child as he or she grew.

It is still unclear what the reasons are for the Houtaomuga people to perform such a practice and this is one mystery which scientists from the Jilin University International Research Center of Bioarchaeology and Texas A&M University Health Science Center hope to uncover.