1,400-year-old skull with mysterious flat top found in ancient village, startling archaeologists
Archaeologists recently uncovered a surprising 1,400-year-old skull in an ancient village in Mexico — unusual for both its flat top and cube-like shape.
Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced the find. Officials said the skull was found in the Balcón de Montezuma Archaeological Zone, in the Northern Huasteca region of Tamaulipas.
The skull belonged to a man who lived between 400 and 900 A.D. He was over 40 years old when he died, officials said.
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The man had a peculiar tabular erect-type skull — with the front and back of the head purposely flattened.
The skull also has an unusually flat top, giving it a cube-like shape, similar to the rare tabular superior form.
"As a result, not only was intentional cranial deformation identified for the first time at this type of site, but also a variant of cranial modeling not previously reported in this region of Mesoamerica," the INAH press release said.
In a translated written statement to Fox News Digital, INAH researchers said they believe the skull may have had meaning related to identity and status.
"Not all individuals at the site (for whom we have complete skeletons) show this kind of cultural modification," the researchers said.
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"In other words, this individual clearly stood out from others, which gave him a differentiated position."
The man's position was not "necessarily a high social status" — and the experts suggested he may have held a shaman-like role within the group.
Though cranial deformations were not unheard of in Mesoamerica, researchers stressed that this type is less common than other types in the region — and unusually combines both tabular erect and tabular superior styles.
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"The differences among them lie in the lateral projection angle between the frontal, occipital and/or coronal bones," the team said.
The team also said the grave was unusual for its small circular shell beads, which served as personal adornments.
"This new discovery provides highly relevant data on the nature of intercultural relationships in the Huasteca region — especially with the North and the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico," the researchers added.
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"It not only shows the high degree of ethnic diversity, but also provides insights into the physical characteristics of its inhabitants."
The discovery is only one of many archaeological finds that were uncovered in 2025.
In El Salvador, excavators found "creepy" puppets at the top of a pyramid that dated back over 2,400 years.
This summer, a Texas couple unearthed the ancient tomb of a legendary king in Caracol, Belize, a major Mayan city established in the 300s A.D.