Science, Discovery, Tech and Environment · 22 December 2025

Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) reports first cube-shaped skull from intentional cranial deformation

Exam-focused facts from the 22 December 2025 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • The skull belonged to a 40-year-old man who lived in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range more than 1,000 years ago during the Mesoamerican Classic period.
  • The peculiar cube shape of the skull was a sign of 'intentional cranial deformation' carried out during a child's early years with boards and bandages.
  • The square shape was different from the typical 'conical' shapes seen elsewhere in the region and is described as 'parallelepiped,' closer to a parallelogram than a sphere.