While re-evaluating a centuries’ old, elongated skull originally theorized to belong to an Incan “tribal chief,” a team of archaeologists in Switzerland came across a startling discovery. Although the Aymara eventually became part of the Incan empire around the 16th century CE, they continued to practice distinct cultural traditions—notably skull elongation. Radiocarbon dating would have been extremely damaging to the skull, so the archaeologists instead relied on historical context clues to estimate its age. Records indicate that skull elongation was formally banned by Viceroy Francisco de Toledo between 1572 and 1575, while the last documented example occurred during the mid-17th century. This skull is only one of the many examples of archaeological remains that deserve a fresh look as experts continue to reckon with centuries of problematic excavations.