CT Scans Unravel Mysteries of Field Museum’s Mummies: (like you haven't seen them before)

Great thread

Really makes me think about egypt, cant wait to go there next summer

The weirdly shaped skulls are also fascinating! I dont think they were 'alien' in nature, but their heads were shaped by some kind of 'technique'.
I mean, look at the lengths people go today to look 'different'. Piercings, tattoos. stretchings etc
maybe 1000's of years in to the future, human kind will also think WE were 'alien'

reply to post by Gregory11


Well, great point.

I wonder what they will think of us in the future. Especially if there is a massive wipe out and re-building---say 5 to 10 thousand years between. Hmmmm.

The egyptians in heaven must chuckle when they watch us trying to figure out who they were etc.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by JohnnyCanuck

 

True, True...
But do we have any physical evidence of the Egyptian elites doing it?

I'm not suggesting that the subject is therefore closed...there's always room for investigation. What I am stating is that there is is precedent in the human story for the physical act of changing the shape of the skull. And, as you say, there is some indication of genetic predisposition - especially considering the well-documented inbreeding of the Egyptian elite.

My bottom line is simply that alien crania need not factor into the discussion.

Originally posted by anon72
But, I have to tell you. I would love to see a comparison between the different cultures modified skulls around the world.

I believe there's almost enough material for a book.

I just can't believe they would do this to their off-spring-form their skulls. I guess people in power will do anything to stay in power-including making thier kids look odd also.

They also do other things to mark social rank, including tattooing, piercing, binding the neck, stretching lips and earlobes.

Bryd. Just to make sure. You are saying that all these oblong head shots are normal human skulls that were modify-somehow? No skull diffenent in the make up of them, no the shape?

The art is exaggerated and probably isn't true to life. The skulls are shown without the neck width (your neck is MUCH thicker than your spinal cord) and this makes them look really weird. Standing in a normal posture, with the muscles and hair in place, you can't tell that the skull is long and narrow.

They all have the same bones (shaped slightly differently -- we're not all twins of each other.) People from a certain area exhibit certain common traits (based on who can marry whom and what the cultural concept of beauty is.) A good example is that in China, "high class" and "beautiful women" had very flat faces (called "moon faces.") Hence, someone of Chinese descent usually has a flatter face and somewhat rounder skull than their neighbors in Japan.

When was the first one noted? What dynasty? From the beginning? Thanks in advance.
On, any thought that maybe the people of those times were trying to emulate something/somebody they encountered or were in control of?

The dolichocephalic humans? As far as I know, this goes back to our earliest ancestors (the ones that didn't look very human at all.) Some of them had long skulls, some rounder. If you bothered to measure all vertebrates alive, you'd see this same variation within species (an extreme example is dogs -- collies are extremely dolichocephalic while bulldogs are brachycephalic.)

Here's a page on human cranial dimensions that's interesting to read: Head Shape info

Were they trying to emulate someone with head binding? There's no reliable information on this. If you ask them now, they say "it makes the child look beautiful."

Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck
My bottom line is simply that alien crania need not factor into the discussion.

Where have I suggested that?

Originally posted by SLAYER69

Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck
My bottom line is simply that alien crania need not factor into the discussion.

Where have I suggested that?

You have not at all, forgive me if I created that impression. However, we do see others take that particularly breathless intuitive leap, now don't we?

reply to post by JohnnyCanuck


I think you are looking way into things or not reading fully.

But it will be interesting to see, if we ever do, the different societies doing Skull manipulation. Did they do it the same or similar..... around the world? Or different techs. That will be an interesting result. If it can ever be determined.

I was glad to see some confirmation of Artisic latitude and styles.