If you’re following this story, this post from Archaeology Review is quite worthwhile: A Review of Jaime Maussan’s Alien Mummy from Peru.
The highlight is an X-Ray of the three-fingered alien hand hoax perpetrated by Maussan. Here’s a portion of the essay on that point:
Finally, there’s an excellent report written by Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi from the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Natural History Museum in Lima, Peru titled, “Esta Es La Falsa Mano “alienígena” Que Los Científicos De Maussan Determinaron Anatómicamente Correcta Y Funcional (This the fake “alien” hand that Maussan’s scientists determined anatomically correct and functional).” The report is in Spanish, but here are some of the highlghts:
X-rays and expert identification says that the bones of the mummy’s “hand” are from two individuals. At least one is a sub-adult, probably a neonate.
The bones of the “hand” are actually arm and leg bones of a neonatal child. the bones of the “fingers” are from the metacarpal and phalanges of an adult. The bones are also arranged poorly with phibulas on either side of metacarpels. This is the sort of mistake you could expect from amateurs creating a plastered, fake alien/mummy. Maussan and company mixed the long bones of a child with the finger bones.
There are some fine X-ray images that show just how Maussan and his minions faked the hand.
And to add insult to injury, the review concludes with a note about the DNA report for the mummy. Yes, that’s a teaser …. (sort of).
