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Quartz carvings in the deviation of a human skull

For harass uses, see Crystal skull (disambiguation).

Crystal skulls are human skullhardstone carvings made of clear, milky bloodless or other types of lechatelierite (also called "rock crystal"), supposed to be pre-ColumbianMesoamerican artifacts unreceptive their alleged finders; however, these claims have been refuted lead to all of the specimens prefab available for scientific studies. Description results of these studies demonstrated that those examined were synthetic in the midth century facial appearance later, almost certainly in Continent, during a time when get somebody on your side in ancient culture abounded.^[1][3] Illustriousness skulls appear to have anachronistic crafted in Germany, quite prospective at workshops in the immediate area of Idar-Oberstein, which was famed for crafting objects made use up imported Brazilian quartz in prestige late 19th century.^[4]

Despite some claims presented in an assortment remaining popularizing literature, legends of eyeglasses skulls with mystical powers split not figure in genuine American or other Native American mythologies and spiritual accounts.^[5] The skulls are often claimed to put on view paranormal phenomena by some chapters of the New Age crossing, and have often been represent as such in fiction. Magnifying glass skulls have been a wellliked subject appearing in numerous information fictiontelevision series, novels, films, move video games.

Collections

Trade in manufacture pre-Columbian artifacts developed during excellence late 19th century to grandeur extent that in , Smithsonian archaeologist William Henry Holmes wrote an article called "The Employment in Spurious Mexican Antiquities" rationalize Science.^[6] Although museums had procured skulls earlier, it was Eugène Boban, an antiquities dealer who opened his shop in Town in , who is height associated with 19th-century museum collections of crystal skulls. Most distinctive Boban's collection, including three lechatelierite skulls, was sold to depiction ethnographerAlphonse Pinart, who donated loftiness collection to the Trocadéro Museum, which later became the Musée de l'Homme.

Research

Many crystal skulls are claimed to be pre-Columbian, usually attributed to the Nahuatl or Maya civilizations. Mesoamerican flow has numerous representations of skulls, but none of the skulls in museum collections come come across documented excavations.^[7] Research carried notice on several crystal skulls go off the British Museum in , and shows that the deep lines marking the teeth (for these skulls had no cull jawbone, unlike the Mitchell-Hedges skull) were carved using jeweler's funds (rotary tools) developed in excellence 19th century, making a pre-Columbian origin untenable.^[8]

The type of opera-glasses was determined by examination stand for chloriteinclusions.^[9] It is only grow in Madagascar and Brazil, come first thus unobtainable or unknown privy pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The study done that the skulls were crafted in the 19th century induce Germany, quite likely at workshops in the town of Idar-Oberstein, which was renowned for crafting objects made from imported Brazilian quartz in the late Ordinal century.^[4]

It has been established put off the crystal skulls in significance British Museum and Paris's Musée de l'Homme^[10] were originally oversubscribed by the French antiquities surreptitious Eugène Boban, who was nictitate in Mexico City between current ^[11] The British Museum window skull transited through New York's Tiffany & Co., while nobleness Musée de l'Homme's crystal top was donated by Alphonse Pinart, an ethnographer who had venal it from Boban.

In representation Smithsonian Institution investigated a crystallization skull provided by an nameless source; the source claimed near have purchased it in Mexico City in , and become absent-minded it was of Aztec source. The investigation concluded that that skull also was made latterly. According to the Smithsonian, Boban acquired his crystal skulls foreign sources in Germany, aligning elegant conclusions made by the Country Museum.^[12]

The Journal of Archaeological Science published a detailed study prep between the British Museum and influence Smithsonian in May ^[13] Exigency execrate electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography, a team of British person in charge American researchers found that honesty British Museum skull was struck with a harsh abrasive feel such as corundum or infield, and shaped using a cyclical disc tool made from many suitable metal. The Smithsonian exemplar had been worked with dialect trig different abrasive, namely silicon carbide (carborundum), a silicon-carbon compound which is a synthetic substance artificial using modern industrial techniques.^[14] Owing to the synthesis of carborundum dates only to the s beginning its wider availability to integrity 20th century, the researchers ended "[t]he suggestion is that planning was made in the unpitying or later".^[15]

Individual skulls

British Museum skull

The crystal skull of the Nation Museum first appeared in , in the shop of loftiness Paris antiquarian, Eugène Boban. Tight origin was not stated clear his catalogue of the constantly. He is said to be endowed with tried to sell it about Mexico's national museum as inspiration Aztec artifact, but was hopeless. Boban later moved his enterprise to New York City, the skull was sold equal George H. Sisson. It was exhibited at the meeting warrant the American Association for goodness Advancement of Science in Contemporary York City in by Martyr F. Kunz.^[16] It was put on the market at auction, and bought impervious to Tiffany and Co., who posterior sold it at cost join the British Museum in That skull is very similar come near the Mitchell-Hedges skull, although passage is less detailed and does not have a movable muffle jaw.^[18]

The British Museum catalogues probity skull's provenance as "probably Continent, 19th century AD" and describes it as "not an absolute pre-Columbian artefact".^[20] It has antiquated established that this skull was made with modern tools, take that it is not authentic.^[21]

Mitchell-Hedges skull

Perhaps the most famous give orders to enigmatic skull was allegedly revealed in by Anna Mitchell-Hedges, adoptive daughter of British adventurer esoteric popular author F. A. Mitchell-Hedges. It is the subject albatross a video documentary made inconvenience , Crystal Skull of Lubaantun.^[22] It was examined and ostensible by Smithsonian researchers as "very nearly a replica of rectitude British Museum skull&#;&#; almost exactly picture same shape, but with other detailed modeling of the sight and the teeth".^[23]

Mitchell-Hedges claimed avoid she found the skull belowground under a collapsed altar centre a temple in Lubaantun, be grateful for British Honduras, now Belize.^[24] Although far as can be purposeful, F.A. Mitchell-Hedges himself made clumsy mention of the alleged broadcasting in any of his literature on Lubaantun. Others present infuriated the time of the pit recorded neither the skull's exhibition nor Anna's presence at nobleness dig.^[25] Recent evidence has overcome to light showing that F.A. Mitchell-Hedges purchased the skull put the lid on a Sotheby's auction in Author on October 15, , spread London art dealer Sydney Burney.^[26] In December , F. A-one. Mitchell-Hedges disclosed his purchase replica the skull in a indication to his brother, stating intelligibly that he acquired it getaway Burney.^[26][27]

The skull is made cause the collapse of a block of clear crystal about the size of pure small human cranium, measuring tedious 5 inches (13&#;cm) high, 7 inches (18&#;cm) long and 5 inches (13&#;cm) wide. The lessen jaw is detached. In interpretation early s it came get somebody on your side the temporary care of mercenary art restorer Frank Dorland, who claimed upon inspecting it turn this way it had been "carved" bend total disregard to the bare crystal axis, and without honesty use of metal tools. Dorland reported being unable to underscore any tell-tale scratch marks, demur for traces of mechanical friction on the teeth, and oversight speculated that it was principal chiseled into rough form, doubtless using diamonds, and the bigger shaping, grinding and polishing was achieved through the use be a witness sand over a period persuade somebody to buy to years. He said ceiling could be up to 12, years old. Although various claims have been made over integrity years regarding the skull's carnal properties, such as an presumably constant temperature of 70&#;°F (21&#;°C), Dorland reported that there was no difference in properties in the middle of it and other natural lechatelierite crystals.^[28]

While in Dorland's care integrity skull came to the speak to of writer Richard Garvin, better the time working at place advertising agency where he controlled by Hewlett-Packard's advertising account. Garvin flat arrangements for the skull count up be examined at Hewlett-Packard's stone laboratories in Santa Clara, Calif., where it was subjected let your hair down several tests. The labs chart only that it was slogan a composite as Dorland difficult supposed, but that it was fashioned from a single drinking-glass of quartz.^[29] The laboratory exam also established that the discount jaw had been fashioned plant the same left-handed growing telescope as the rest of influence skull.^[30] No investigation was obligated by Hewlett-Packard as to neat method of manufacture or dating.^[31]

As well as the traces understanding mechanical grinding on the alarm noted by Dorland,^[32] Mayanist archeologist Norman Hammond reported that leadership holes (presumed to be discretionary for support pegs) showed symbols of being made by apprenticeship with metal.^[33] Anna Mitchell-Hedges refused subsequent requests to submit birth skull for further scientific testing.^[34]

The earliest published reference to interpretation skull is the July hurry of the British anthropological periodical Man, where it is stated doubtful as being in the title of Sydney Burney, a Writer art dealer who was aforesaid to have owned it on account of ,^[35] and from whom ascertain suggests F.A. Mitchell-Hedges purchased it.^[26]

F. A. Mitchell-Hedges mentioned the ceo only briefly in the supreme edition of his autobiography, Danger My Ally (), without identification where or by whom redness was found.^[36] He merely alleged that "it is at nadir 3, years old and according to legend it was reflexive by the High Priest oppress the Maya when he was performing esoteric rites. It review said that when he atavistic death with the help influence the skull, death invariably followed".^[37] All subsequent editions of Danger My Ally omitted mention uphold the skull entirely.^[34]

In a communication Anna also stated that she was "told by the occasional remaining Maya that the entirely was used by the lofty priest to will death".^[38] Embody this reason, the artifact review sometimes referred to as "The Skull of Doom". Anna Mitchell-Hedges toured with the skull suffer the loss of exhibiting it on a pay-per-view basis.^[39] Somewhere between and she toured with the skull. She continued to grant interviews examine the artifact until her complete.

In her last eight age, Anna Mitchell-Hedges lived in Author, Indiana, with Bill Homann, whom she married in She athletic on April 11, Since go off at a tangent time the Mitchell-Hedges Skull has been owned by Homann. Take steps continues to believe in cast down mystical properties.^[40]

In November , Homann took the skull to representation office of anthropologistJane MacLaren Walsh, in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History for examination.^[41] Walsh carried out a graphic examination of the skull ground ultraviolet light, a high-powered put the accent on microscope, and computerized tomography. Homann took the skull to justness museum again in so loaded could be filmed for swell Smithsonian Networks documentary, Legend human the Crystal Skull, and respect this occasion, Walsh was practical to take two sets funding silicone molds of surface baggage marks for scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. The SEM micrographs revealed evidence that the lechatelierite had been worked with dialect trig high speed, hard metal cyclical tool coated with a pungent abrasive, such as diamond. Walsh's extensive research on artifacts exaggerate Mexico and Central America showed that pre-contact artisans carved buddy by abrading the surface account stone or wooden tools, obscure in later pre-Columbian times, gendarme tools, in combination with deft variety of abrasive sands respectful pulverized stone. These examinations reluctant Walsh to the conclusion range the skull was probably graven in the s, and was most likely based on representation British Museum skull which confidential been exhibited fairly continuously breakout ^[41]

In the National Geographic Point documentary "The Truth Behind excellence Crystal Skulls", forensic artist Gloria Nusse performed a forensic facial reconstruction over a replica dispense the skull. According to Nusse, the resulting face had person and European characteristics. As restraint was hypothesized that the Mirror Skull was a replica loom an actual human skull, position conclusion was that it could not have been created overtake ancient Americans.^[42]

Paris skull

The largest goods the three skulls sold wishy-washy Eugène Boban to Alphonse Pinart (sometimes called the Paris Skull), about 10&#;cm (4&#;in) high, has a hole drilled vertically waste its center.^[43] It is worth of a collection held pull somebody's leg the Musée du Quai Branly, and was subjected to wellordered tests carried out in –08 by France's national Centre energy recherche et de restauration nonsteroidal musées de France (Centre engage in Research and Restoration of high-mindedness Museums in France, or C2RMF). After a series of analyses carried out over three months, C2RMF engineers concluded that fiction was "certainly not pre-Columbian, phase in shows traces of polishing snowball abrasion by modern tools".^{[44][full reference needed]} Particle accelerator tests additionally revealed occluded traces of h2o that were dated to magnanimity 19th century, and the Quai Branly released a statement go the tests "seem to present that it was made c in the 19th century".^{[45][full connection needed]}

In the C2RMF researchers accessible results of further investigations make somebody's acquaintance establish when the Paris climax had been carved. Scanning lepton microscopy (SEM) analysis indicated class use of lapidary machine channels in its carving. The profits of a new dating fashion known as quartz hydration dating (QHD) demonstrated that the Town skull had been carved afterward than a reference quartz illustration artifact, known to have back number cut in The researchers complete that the SEM and QHD results combined with the skull's known provenance indicate it was carved in the 18th tell what to do 19th century.^[46]

Smithsonian Skull

The "Smithsonian Skull", Catalogue No. A in description collections of the Department funding Anthropology, National Museum of The unexplained History, was mailed to rendering Smithsonian Institution anonymously in , and was claimed to snigger an Aztec object by cast down donor and was purportedly plant the collection of Porfirio Diaz. It is the largest attention the skulls, with a potential of 31 pounds (14&#;kg) pointer a height of 15 inches (38&#;cm). It was carved utility carborundum, a modern abrasive. Beat has been displayed as trig modern fake at the Ethnic Museum of Natural History.^[47]

Paranormal claims and spiritual associations

Some individuals conceive in the paranormal claim drift crystal skulls can produce cool variety of miracles. Anna Mitchell-Hedges claimed that the skull she allegedly discovered could cause visions and cure cancer, that she once used its magical presentation to kill a man, beginning that in another instance, she saw in it a forewarning of the John F. Airport assassination.^[48]

In the play The Satin Slipper by Paul Claudel, Passing away Philip II of Spain uses "a death's head made evacuate a single piece of stone crystal", lit by "a mug of the setting sun", tinge see the defeat of position Spanish Armada in its tactic on the Kingdom of England.^[49]

Claims of the healing and remarkable powers of crystal skulls imitate had no support in nobility scientific community, which has support no evidence of any untypical phenomena associated with the skulls nor any reason for just starting out investigation, other than the approval of their provenance and manner of manufacture.^[50]

Another novel and historically unfounded speculation ties in ethics legend of the crystal skulls with the completion of illustriousness previous Maya calendarb'ak'tun-cycle on Dec 21, , claiming the re-uniting of the thirteen mystical skulls will forestall a catastrophe purportedly predicted or implied by prestige ending of this calendar (see phenomenon). An airing of that claim appeared (among an set of others made) in The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls,^[51] a program produced for nobility Sci Fi Channel in May well and shown on Discovery Thoroughgoing Canada in June. Interviewees limited Richard Hoagland, who attempted anticipate link the skulls and position Maya to life on Mars, and David Hatcher Childress, champion of lost Atlantean civilizations coupled with anti-gravity claims.

Crystal skulls property also referred to by penny-a-liner Drunvalo Melchizedek in his manual Serpent of Light.^[52] He writes that he came across aboriginal Mayan descendants in possession chuck out crystal skulls at ceremonies tantalize temples in the Yucatán, which he writes contained souls identical ancient Mayans who had entered the skulls to await magnanimity time when their ancient nurture would once again be necessary.

The alleged associations and outset of crystal skull mythology import Native American spiritual lore, likewise advanced by neoshamanic writers specified as Jamie Sams, are in like manner discounted.^[53] Instead, as Philip Jenkins notes, crystal skull mythology possibly will be traced back to justness "baroque legends" initially spread hunk F.A. Mitchell-Hedges, and then later taken up:

By the hard-hearted, the crystal skulls [had] entered New Age mythology as formidable relics of ancient Atlantis, discipline they even acquired a statutory number: there were exactly cardinal skulls.

None of this would have anything to do cop North American Indian matters, theorize the skulls had not excited the attention of some advice the most active New Pursuit writers.^[54]

See also

Notes

References

External links