Strange Artifacts
These skulls, found near the ancient ruins of Mayan and Aztec civilizations (with some evidence linking the skulls with past civilization in Peru) are a mystery as profound as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Nazca Lines of Peru, or Stonehenge. Some of the skulls are believed to be between 5,000 and 36,000 years old.
Many indigenous people speak of their remarkable magical and healing properties, but nobody really knows where they came from or what they were used for.
Were they left behind after the destruction of a previous world, such as Atlantis? Are they simply ingenious modern fakes or can they really enable us to see deeply into the past and predict the future?Much research is currently being done on the skulls. However, their origin is still a baffling mystery. They seem to defy logic. Everything that is known about lapidary work indicates that the skulls should have been shattered fractured, or fallen apart when carved...
The 13 Crystal Skulls
One of archaeology's most compelling mysteries is that of the 13 Crystal Skulls. Skulls have been one of the most powerful objects of symbolism in human history, all over the world. Several "perfect" crystal Skulls have been found in parts of Mexico, Central and South America. Together, they form a mystery as enigmatic as the Nazca Lines, the Great Pyramids and Stonehenge.
These skulls are believed to be between 5000 and 35000 years old. During early expeditions, archaeologists were told by locals that the skulls possessed magical powers and healing properties. However, people were unsure as to where they came from, or even why they existed. Some like to believe that these were remains from the lost civilization of Atlantis. Others like to believe these are fakes. And yet another group of psychics believe that these skulls have the capability to enable us to look into the past, present and future.
Legend of the Crystal Skulls
Sixteen years ago, a heavy package addressed to the nonexistent "Smithsonian Inst. Curator, MezoAmerican Museum, Washington, D.C." was delivered to the National Museum of American History. It was accompanied by an unsigned letter stating: "This Aztec crystal skull, purported to be part of the Porfirio Díaz collection, was purchased in Mexico in 1960.... I am offering it to the Smithsonian without consideration." Richard Ahlborn, then curator of the Hispanic-American collections, knew of my expertise in Mexican archaeology and called me to ask whether I knew anything about the object--an eerie, milky-white crystal skull considerably larger than a human head.
I told him I knew of a life-sized crystal skull on display at the British Museum, and had seen a smaller version the Smithsonian had once exhibited as a fake. After we spent a few minutes puzzling over the meaning and significance of this unusual artifact, he asked whether the department of anthropology would be interested in accepting it for the national collections. I said yes without hesitation. If the skull turned out to be a genuine pre-Columbian Mesoamerican artifact, such a rare object should definitely become part of the national collections...
How Crystal Skulls Work
To some people, a crystal skull is simply an object carved from quartz crystal in the shape of a human skull. They can be clear or colored crystal, and they range from crudely carved to incredibly detailed. Some crystal skulls are just a few inches in diameter, while others are life-size. Whether you find them beautiful or creepy, many crystal skulls are representations of amazing craftsmanship. That's part of why some of them have been (and still are) exhibited in the Smithsonian, the British Museum and the Musee de l'Homme in Paris.
But according to believers in the supernatural and the occult, crystal skulls are more than just interesting artifacts. They may represent doom and destruction, or hope and healing. Some people think that crystal skulls can be used like crystal balls to see visions of the past, present and future. They claim that the skulls emit psychic energy, auras or even sounds. Believers point to Mayan creation myths that reference crystal skulls and a story that 13 crystal skulls were scattered by the Mayans thousands of years ago to be discovered and reunited in modern times...
Mystery of the Crystal Skulls - Part 1 of 8
Crystal Skulls (www.thecrystalskulls.info)
PARIS CRYSTAL SKULL
The Paris Crystal Skull remains partly in mystery due to its seclusion behind the Paris museum walls. Although it is recorded to be the first crystal skull to have been exhibited in a Museum back in the late 1800's, has been kept away from public viewing until May 20th, 2008 in conjunction with the "Indiana Jones Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" movie release...
The Enigma of the Crystal Skulls
The last couple of decades there has been a growing interest in ancient crystal skulls. The most famous crystal skull, which is as big as a human skull, was discovered by Anna Mitchell-Hedges, daughter of the archeologist F. A. Mitchell-Hedges, while exploring the ruins of a Mayan city in British Honduras (Belize). When the skull was found, the Mayans became very excited and celebrated for days. Day after day more and more Mayans came to the place of discovery to see and venerate this mysterious object. It was obviously something sacred to them, so F. A. Mitchell-Hedges decided to give the skull to the Mayan people. When the archeological work was over the Mayans gave the skull back. Since then it has been in the hands of Anna, who has shown the skull numerous times to interested people in order to share this wonderful object with others...
The Crystal Skulls of Central America
According to Walsh, “The earliest [Mexican example] seems to be a British Museum crystal skull about an inch high that may have been acquired in 1856 by British banker Henry Christy.” She continues “Two other examples were exhibited in 1867 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris as part of the collection of Eugène Boban”. These in turn were followed by the appearance of various individual skulls which were acquired by collectors as part of their buy-anything-that-moves policies which came to dominate the major museums in the late nineteenth century.
The general theory for the emergence of the crystal skulls at this time goes as follows: the destabilising of Mexico at the time of the French invasion of 1863 created a stage on which unprovenanced artefacts (and fakes) could be sold with impunity to those with a taste for antiquities. As we have seen with the recent invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, archaeological protection quickly becomes a low priority for both politicians (as people sell artefacts in order to feed their families) and law enforcement agencies (who suddenly have far higher priorities).
The crystal skulls are a number of human skull hardstone carvings made from clear or milky quartz rock, known in art history as "rock crystal", claimed to be pre-Columbian Mesoamerican artifacts by their alleged finders. However, none of the specimens made available for scientific study were authenticated as pre-Columbian in origin. The results of these studies demonstrated that those examined were manufactured in the mid-19th century or later, almost certainly in Europe.[1] Despite some claims presented in an assortment of popularizing literature, legends of crystal skulls with mystical powers do not figure in genuine Mesoamerican or other Native American mythologies and spiritual accounts.[2]
The skulls are often claimed to exhibit paranormal phenomena by some members of the New Age movement, and have often been portrayed as such in fiction. Perhaps the most widely known of such portrayals occurs in the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Crystal skulls have been a popular subject appearing in numerous sci-fi television series,[3] novels,[4] and video games.[5]
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