These 11,000-year-old skulls from Tell Aswad were carefully plastered and reshaped to preserve the faces of the dead. It’s one of the oldest and most haunting burial practices ever discovered.

Object Name Skull for Day of the Dead celebration Media/Materials Paper mache/Papier-mâché, paint Techniques Modeled, painted Dimensions 25.5 x 19.5 x 24.5 cm Place Mexico City; Federal District; ...