Around 1,500 years ago, the Nazca people of southern Peru buried human heads in some of their graves. Cactus spines bound the lips shut and the eyes closed, and a hole in the forehead held a rope for suspending the skull. Scientists thought these were the heads of conquered warriors from distant lands, until recent isotope and DNA studies revealed a different story.

To learn more, check out the Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet interview with Field Museum scientist Dr. Ryan Williams.

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