Archaeologists in Slovakia are investigating the perplexing disappearance of skulls from a 7,000-year-old settlement. The discovery centers around a grave site where bodies were buried, but skulls are notably absent from several remains. This unusual finding prompts speculation regarding ancient rituals potentially practiced by the settlement’s inhabitants. Researchers are considering possibilities ranging from deliberate removal for ancestor worship to evidence of violent conflict and trophy-taking. The absence of skulls challenges conventional understandings of burial practices during the Neolithic period in the region. Further analysis of the site and remaining skeletal material is needed to determine the precise reasons behind this unsettling phenomenon and better understand the lives – and deaths – of the people who lived there. This discovery offers a unique window into the beliefs and practices of a long-lost civilization.