Normal mantelpiece items usually include: clocks, candles, photo frames (tat, if you're my mum) - but not usually skulls wearing sunglasses.
Well, unless you're living in one particular house in Morgan County, Tennessee where a rather questionable living room ornament turned out to belong to someone called Junior Will McCann who had been missing for eight years.
According to the Mirror, police detectives were tipped off by a member of the public about the human remains which were being displayed in an unidentified home.
Advert
The skull was then seized by officers and taken for tests. Following the examinations, The Regional Forensic Center and the University of Tennessee Anthropology Department discovered that it belonged to Mr McCann.
District Attorney General Russell Johnson said this is someone who had been missing for eight years. It's also believed that Mr McCann was killed by a family member who has since passed away.
Many people questioned why someone would put a skull on their mantelpiece instead of ringing the authorities. One said: "So you find a human skull and instead of calling the sheriff you put it on your mantle? Yeah that's messed up."
Advert
Another added: "This is one of those things that leave me speechless. If it was found, why in the world was it not turned over to authorities?"
The police are now calling on the public for information relating to Mr McCann's death, with Mr Johnson telling anyone with details to contact the Morgan County Sheriff's Office at (423) 346-6262.
Just last week, a 5,000 year-old skull was found by a team of Russian archaeologists that suggests its owner underwent ancient brain surgery - and most probably died from it.
Trepanation is a now well-known ancient surgery technique where a hole is made in the skull, and archeologists matched pictures of the unearthed skull with 3D imagery to deduce that this poor man - likely in his 20s - had undergone the procedure.
Advert
The skull and the bones of rest of the Bronze Age torso were found in a deep grave in the Crimea region of Russia, alongside two flint arrowheads.
The Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, said: "The ancient 'doctor' definitely had a 'surgical set' of stone tools. Judging by the position of the bones, the body of the deceased was carefully laid on its back, slightly turned on its left side, the legs were strongly bent at the knees and turned to the left."
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock