20 years later: the alien mummy found in the desert that rewrote history - voila! news

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Remember when we told you about "Ata"? This is a tiny mummy skeleton found in an abandoned church in the Atacama Desert in the city of Nuria in Chile. This skeleton, measuring 15 cm, had a chilling appearance with a glued eye socket and 10 pairs of ribs (as opposed to 12 in a normal person). This strange structure created a conspiracy that these were alien remnants.

Following a documentary made about him, Sirius, which supported the alien theory, UFO enthusiasts flocked to the abandoned mining town.

Analysis of the remains (first thought to be ancient) concluded that the mummified body died in the 70s.

A baby who died after birth? (Photo: official website, APLLE)

There is no official record of what the tiny body is, but scientists dismissed the alien theory in 2008 after tests at Stanford University, San Francisco and the University of California revealed that ATA was indeed human.

It was believed that the skeleton - identified as that of a female - belonged to a baby girl who died immediately after birth. She had a number of genetic defects that hindered her growth, including dwarfism and bone abnormalities.

Gary Nolan, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine, believes more research on ATA will benefit parents in the future, and could provide solutions for those suffering from bone growth problems.

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X-ray scan of the mummy found in Chile (Photo: screenshot, Sirius Disclosure)

Dr. Nolan began investigating the case in 2012 after hearing a friend say an alien might have been found. His research provided clarity on what had been a very public and sensational story for a long time, and it was done out of a desire to bring some humanity to this discussion and respect for the skeleton," he told The Times that year.

"The DNA and images come from remains that were not known to be human when the research began. It has long been known that this skeleton was kept privately in Spain, with no allegations of criminal conduct as to how it was acquired."

But in an article in the online magazine Etilmercurio, Cristina Dordor, of Antofagasta University, asked the Chilean government to condemn the researchers. She wrote: "We don't know how a little girl came to be buried next to a church in an abandoned town. We don't know if she was born alive, but we do know that she received care and love in her final moments, carefully covered with white cloth and purple ribbon. From the approximate timeline of her death, it is likely that her mother is still alive. Given the amount of media interest about the case, it is also possible that the family has had to relive events that happened 40 years ago. But what is the fate of the girl from Noria? To be buried in a dark drawer somewhere in Europe."

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