Scientists are baffled after new DNA tests on Peru’s ancient ‘conehead’ mummies failed to rule out alien origins, fuelling wild extraterrestrial theories
The mystery of Peru’s infamous “conehead” mummies has taken a wild turn after fresh DNA testing failed to explain their true origins – raising the possibility of an extraterrestrial connection. Boffins from Liberty University in Virginia launched a high-tech probe into the elongated Paracas skulls, a bizarre collection of more than 300 remains dug up by archaeologists back in the 1920s.
While historical consensus says the distorted shapes were caused by ancient humans binding babies’ heads between 800 BC and 100 BC, those theories were mostly based on visual checks.
After a string of previous genetic tests hit a brick wall, researchers have now tried drilling into the mummies’ teeth to extract a powdery residue in hopes of mapping their genetic code.
The inconclusive results mean sci-fi fanatics are still convinced the remains belong to cosmic visitors with non-human DNA.
Researcher Abigail McDowell explained the deep divide over the skulls’ origins. She said: “Some archaeologists and geneticists attributed the deformation to the cultural practice of cranial binding, which uses pressure to morph the skull – often a societal symbol of wealth or importance.
“Others believed the Conehead mummies were proof of extraterrestrial visitors, claiming the mummies were descendants from non-humanoid species or actual aliens themselves.”
Astonishingly, even after raiding the dental records of multiple Paracas mummies, scientists admit they still don’t have enough genetic data to completely debunk the alien theory.
The research team targeted the teeth because they act like ancient, armoured “safes” for DNA, resisting rot over thousands of years.
To get to the biological secrets inside, they tested two methods, firstly by scraping tiny amounts of powder from the tooth root. They also pulverised an entire tooth into a fine dust using a standard coffee grinder.
While the coffee grinder approach yielded five times more DNA, the total amount recovered was still way too low for a breakthrough.
The delicate scrape method scored just 2.3 nanograms per microlitre. To put that into perspective, a nanogram is a billionth of a gram (about 150 to 170 human cells) and a microlitre is just one-twentieth of a single teardrop. That means they only got 300 to 400 cells’ worth of data.
The heavy-duty grinding method managed 14.1 units (around 2,100 to 2,400 cells), but lab equipment generally requires at least 20 units to give a definitive answer.
Scientists believe the DNA has simply degraded too much over the years, but they refuse to give up. Their next experiment involves a process called demineralisation to dissolve the bone and hunt for better quality DNA, which they will then match against hair samples taken from the mummies.
Back in 2022, South American researchers checked out 159 skulls from the Paracas Cavernas site and found that a staggering 98 percent showed signs of “intentional cranial modification.”
Historians believe ancient tribes across Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador tightly bound infants’ heads with boards and cloths to reshape them as a status symbol. But UFO hunters aren’t buying the simple historical explanation.
David Childress, a familiar face on the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens, claims the tribes were actually trying to look like advanced cosmic beings who visited Earth.
In his book The Enigma of Cranial Deformation, co-authored with Brien Foerster, Childress wrote: “The puzzle of why diverse ancient people – even on remote Pacific Islands – would use head-binding to create elongated heads is mystifying. Where did they even get this idea?”
Foerster previously teamed up with late paranormal investigator Lloyd Pye, famous for claiming a deformed Mexican skull called the “Starchild” was a human-alien hybrid.
According to Foerster, Pye was utterly convinced that the Paracas skulls were “not human beings” and possessed undeniable alien traits.
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