Scientists Assert 'Alien Mummies' in Peru are Really Dolls Made from Earthly Bones

An X-rays and study carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine of Peru on the 'alien mummies' that concluded that they are dolls made with animal bones is displayed in Lima, Peru, January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda
An X-rays and study carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine of Peru on the 'alien mummies' that concluded that they are dolls made with animal bones is displayed in Lima, Peru, January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda
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Scientists Assert 'Alien Mummies' in Peru are Really Dolls Made from Earthly Bones

An X-rays and study carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine of Peru on the 'alien mummies' that concluded that they are dolls made with animal bones is displayed in Lima, Peru, January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda
An X-rays and study carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine of Peru on the 'alien mummies' that concluded that they are dolls made with animal bones is displayed in Lima, Peru, January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda

A pair of "alien mummies" that mysteriously turned up at the airport in Peru's capital last October have entirely Earthly origins, according to a scientific analysis revealed on Friday.
The two small specimens were described as humanoid dolls by experts at a press conference in Lima, and likely fashioned from both human and animal parts. A separate three-fingered hand believed to be from Peru's Nazca region was also analyzed, with experts ruling out any connection to alien life, Reuters reported.
"They're not extraterrestrials. They're dolls made from animal bones from this planet joined together with modern synthetic glue," said Flavio Estrada, an archeologist with Peru's Institute for Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences.
"It's totally a made-up story," Estrada added.
The two figurines turned up in the Lima airport offices of courier DHL in a cardboard box, and were made to look like mummified bodies dressed in traditional Andean attire. Some media outlets subsequently speculated about possible alien origin.
Last September, two tiny mummified bodies with elongated heads and hands with three fingers were featured at a Mexican congressional hearing, generating widespread media coverage. Mexican journalist and UFO enthusiast Jaime Maussan claimed those bodies were about 1,000 years old and recovered from Peru in 2017, but not related to any known species.
Most experts later dismissed them as a fraud, possibly mutilated ancient human mummies combined with animal parts, but certainly from Earth.
At the Lima press conference on Friday, which was organized by Peru's culture ministry, experts did not say that the dolls found in the DHL office were related to the bodies presented in Mexico, and they stressed that the remains in Mexico are also not extraterrestrial.



Passenger Forced to Run Along London Platform with Hand Trapped in Doors of Moving Train

A train on the Elizabeth line, which opened in May 2022. Photograph: Philip Toscano/PA
A train on the Elizabeth line, which opened in May 2022. Photograph: Philip Toscano/PA
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Passenger Forced to Run Along London Platform with Hand Trapped in Doors of Moving Train

A train on the Elizabeth line, which opened in May 2022. Photograph: Philip Toscano/PA
A train on the Elizabeth line, which opened in May 2022. Photograph: Philip Toscano/PA

An investigation has been launched after a rail passenger was forced to run several metres along the platform with his hand trapped inside the doors of a moving train in west London.

The passenger, who was trying to board an Elizabeth line service just after midnight, had his hand caught in the door as it began to depart, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said on 24 December, The Guardian reported.

He was then forced to run alongside the moving train for several metres until a member of railway staff who was working on the platform at Ealing Broadway station pulled him away.

Nearby passengers alerted the driver and the train stopped after moving about 17 metres. The passenger is reported to have sustained minor injuries, the RAIB confirmed.

The “trap and drag” incident, which took place on 24 November at about 12.07am, is the latest case of a rail passenger having to run alongside trains with their hand or arm trapped in doors at stations. Previous incidents took place at Enfield Town, north London, in July; Seven Sisters, north London, in June 2022; Bushey, Hertfordshire, in March 2018; and Newcastle Central in 2013.

The RAIB investigation will consider factors such as if anything influenced the actions of those involved, and how risks associated with passengers boarding and alighting Elizabeth line trains are managed. It will publish its findings, including any recommendations to improve safety.

Elizabeth line services are operated by MTR Elizabeth line under a concession from Transport for London.

A TfL spokesperson said: “We’re sorry that our customer experienced this distressing incident. Safety is our top priority and our operator, MTR Elizabeth line, is currently carrying out a thorough investigation.

“We will always strive to learn from incidents and improve operational safety. MTR Elizabeth line is fully co-operating with the RAIB to establish the root cause of this incident to determine what steps they can take to avoid any further events of this nature and to share learnings with the industry.

“While serious injuries on our network are rare, we are undertaking a huge range of work aimed at eradicating such incidents and making travelling even safer for everyone.”