M.J. Rose

Adventures in strange anthropological mysteries: the tiny “Atacama Alien”  is indeed human. But that makes it even stranger…

A mummified skeleton from the Atacama Desert in Chile has been described as “alien.” But genetic analysis shows that she was human and may have had a previously unknown bone disorder. CreditBhattacharya S et al. 2018

From The New York Times,

Was a Tiny Mummy in the Atacama an Alien? No, but the Real Story Is Almost as Strange

By Carl Zimmer

“Nearly two decades ago, the rumors began: In the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, someone had discovered a tiny mummified alien.

An amateur collector exploring a ghost town was said to have come across a white cloth in a leather pouch. Unwrapping it, he found a six-inch-long skeleton.

Despite its size, the skeleton was remarkably complete. It even had hardened teeth. And yet there were striking anomalies: it had 10 ribs instead of the usual 12, giant eye sockets and a long skull that ended in a point.

Ata, as the remains came to be known, ended up in a private collection, but the rumors continued, fueled in part by a U.F.O. documentary in 2013 that featured the skeleton. On Thursday, a team of scientists presented a very different explanation for Ata — one without aliens, but intriguing in its own way…”

For the rest, click here.

The tomb is strangely small for a pharaoh. Is there more?

From National Geographic,

Exclusive Photos: Search Resumes for Hidden Chambers In King Tut’s Tomb

Two previous investigations disagreed about what’s behind the tomb walls. Now scientists are launching an all-out effort to solve the mystery.

By Kristin Romey and A. R. Williams

“Luxor, EgyptA third round of ground penetrating radar (GPR) scanning is underway inside the burial chamber of King Tutankhamun, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities announced today, as part of an effort to answer a question that has long intrigued and stumped researchers: Are the walls of the famous tomb hiding other chambers—perhaps another royal burial concealed for more than 3,300 years?

Ever since archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the treasure-packed tomb in Luxor’s Valley of the Kings in 1922, experts have believed the space to be strangely small for a pharaoh. Various theories about the tomb have been proposed over the decades, but in 2015 Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves suggested an astounding possibility: The north and west walls might conceal the mummy—and fabulous possessions—of Tut’s stepmother, the legendary beauty Queen Nefertiti.

Two previous scans of the burial chamber, conducted in 2015 and 2016, varied in their results and were determined inconclusive. A third non-invasive GPR scan was commissioned by Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities Khaled El Enany following the recommendation of experts who met in 2016 to study the results of the previous scans. This latest investigation, conducted under the direction of the Polytechnic University of Turin, aims to resolve those results and verify whether or not there are voids behind the walls…”

For the rest, and many photos, click here.

As you know, we love scents. Perhaps this little one-of-a-kind spot is worth a field trip?

The perfume organ holds hundreds of natural perfume oils. (Bianca Taylor/KQED)

From KQED,

New Museum in Berkeley Worships the Art of Smell

By Bianca Taylor

“The first thing I notice about the Aftel Archive of Curious Scents is that it doesn’t smell.

Mandy Aftel, the museum’s founder and the author of “Essence & Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume,” says this is not an accident.

“I think people are worried that it will be very smelly like a department store,” she says.

Aftel tells me that the natural oils in her perfumes are not as pungent and long-lasting as the synthetic oils that you’d find at a makeup counter.

The Aftel Archive of Curious Scents was founded as a way to share her love of natural fragrance with the world. The small museum is in a garage behind her house in Berkeley, just over the fence from Chez Panisse…”

For the rest, and a video, click here.