NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — In the heart of Chile’s expansive and enigmatic Atacama Desert, where the arid landscapes seem to cradle ancient secrets, a peculiar enigma unfolds—a skeletal figure, colloquially known as the ‘Atacama skeleton,’ has ignited a decade-long journey of discovery.
This journey is helmed by a Spanish entrepreneur and dedicated researcher, now the custodian of the diminutive yet haunting skeletal mummy.
Recent revelations, shared with a captivated audience on Spain‘s Mitele TV network, offer a fascinating new perspective on the origins of this mysterious specimen.
The tale of the ‘Atacama skeleton’ traces its roots to a moment when a mere six-inch ‘alien’ mummy was unearthed from the confines of an abandoned church nestled in the ghost town of La Noria, perched 3,225 feet above sea level.
Almost immediately, the surrounding narrative became entangled in sensationalism, with stories of extraterrestrial connections circulating fervently.
However, a cohort of seven experts, specializing in the realms of infant anatomy and anthropology, stands united in their assertion that ‘Ata,’ as the skeleton is affectionately nicknamed, bears no trace of the extraterrestrial.
Professor Siân Halcrow, a distinguished biological anthropologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand, spearheaded a comprehensive analysis in collaboration with archaeologists from Stockholm University in Sweden, anatomical experts from Stony Brook medical school in the US, and others.
Published in 2018, their findings dismantled both the claims of ‘Ata’ being an alien entity and the skepticism that surrounded its peculiar existence.
In their meticulous examination, Professor Halcrow and her colleagues estimated the fetal skeleton’s gestation at approximately 15 weeks.
This revelation, coupled with the measurement of ‘Ata’s’ 6-inch crown-to-heel length, led them to conclude that the skeletal remains likely belonged to a fetus or premature infant that had succumbed less than four months into pregnancy.
However, the intriguing details surrounding the ownership of ‘Ata’ involve a Barcelona-based entrepreneur, Ramón Navia-Osorio Villar, who purportedly acquired the mummy from treasure hunter Oscar Muñoz in 2003.
Navia-Osorio, a fervent UFO enthusiast and the leader of the Institute for Exobiological Investigation and Study (IIEE), played a pivotal role in disseminating information about the ‘Atacama skeleton.’
A 2013 report, titled ‘The Anthropomorphic Being From Atacama,’ published under the auspices of IIEE, became a cornerstone in the unfolding narrative. However, it was a more detailed and peer-reviewed study conducted by a Stanford team in 2018 that delved deeper into the genetic makeup of ‘Ata.’
Despite the scientific rigor applied in the Stanford study, it faced instantaneous backlash, with concerns raised about ethical considerations and potential violations of Chilean law in the acquisition of ‘Ata’s’ remains.
The study, published in Genome Research, cast doubt on extraterrestrial claims, attributing the genetic anomalies to Earth-bound conditions, specifically dwarfism and scoliosis.
Yet, in a narrative that mirrors the ancient tales of the region, Navia-Osorio insists that ‘Ata’ transcends conventional understanding. He posits a theory that stretches across centuries, suggesting that ‘Ata’ may belong to an extinct race of cave-dwelling beings who coexisted alongside the indigenous Aymara people in the Andean highlands.
According to his account, these diminutive creatures emerged from their subterranean abodes exclusively at night, bearing distinctive almond-shaped eyes—a feature that he attributes to their nocturnal habits.
The indigenous Aymara people have inhabited the Altiplano plateau in the Andean highlands for at least 800 years, possibly even millennia, spanning the territories of Bolivia, Peru, and Chile.
Navia-Osorio weaves a narrative wherein these small, human-like cave dwellers lived in harmony with the Aymara, a parallel existence intertwined with Europe‘s Middle Ages.
Contrary to the consensus held by experts like Professor Halcrow, Navia-Osorio staunchly maintains that ‘Ata’ cannot simply be a 15-week-old fetus, pointing to perplexing details such as calluses on its feet.
The debates persist, echoing through the arid expanse of the Atacama Desert, where the relentless sun and whispering winds seem to guard the secrets of this ancient and perplexing skeleton.
The quest for truth continues, extending beyond scientific analyses to encompass the tapestry of legends, historical accounts, and the uncharted territories of possibility that the ‘Atacama skeleton’ unveils in its wake.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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