13 'alien' skulls next to Mayan pyramids

The signs revealed by two of the thirteen skulls point to an even more gruesome truth concerning the pyramid in the eastern plaza of the Moral-Reforma citadel.

According to Ancient Origins, the skulls were excavated in several tombs dating back over 1,000 years, in the Mora-Reforma archaeological site in Tabasco - Mexico.

The skulls were analyzed among 13 strange skulls excavated near the pyramid - (Photo: INAH).

The archaeological site was once a Mayan city that flourished for centuries, then was abandoned around 1000 AD.

The skulls have intrigued archaeologists because of their unusual elongated shape - resembling the heads of aliens in science fiction movies - which studies have shown was caused by deliberate shaping by binding the heads over many years.

Two of the skulls were split in two with extremely sharp marks, leading scientists to believe that at least two of them were victims of a gruesome sacrificial ritual by the Classic period Maya (600-900 AD).

The location of the incident was a pyramid, which was also a temple in the eastern square of the ancient city.

Giant twin pyramids in the ruins of the ancient Maya city - Moral-Reforma of Mexico - (Photo: INAH).

The above facts were revealed through elaborate research by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), with the hope that through the remains, it will be possible to learn about the customs, rituals and diet of the ancient Maya.

According to Heritage Daily, morphological analysis of five of the 13 skulls has been completed so far, including two that showed signs of decapitation. All five were male, two were between 17 and 25 years old, two were between 33 and 45 years old, and one was between 25 and 35 years old. Ages were estimated based on tooth wear.

These skulls all show the effects of a type of artificial cranial modification intended to create an "alien-like" appearance, but which for the Maya was a way to show high status.

To achieve that shape, they are subjected to head braces from an early age which leads to the development of megalomania, a condition in which the skull elongates backwards.

Some of the graves were covered with a red substance, probably cinnabar , which was commonly used in the tombs of Mayan royalty. The arrangement of the graves also showed a special ritual, further confirming that they were sacrificial graves.

However, why these individuals were sacrificed in such a brutal ritual remains a mystery.