Crystal Skulls

[FreeThinker]

OK, this come a little out of left field. I have seen on the web lots of information on crystal skulls found in central and south america, purportedly found in Aztec and Mayan sites. From the pictures I have seen they seem to be quite remarkable and beautiful artifacts carved from some very tough materials to work with (quartz is HARD) that obviously took a great deal of time for an ancient craftsman to make. For a non functional item of such difficulty to make to exist there must have been some special significance to these items. I would bet these are high status artifacts.

Now here is the problem. Somehow most of these skulls (and most of the related info on the web) have fallen into the hands of New Age kooks who are dragging them all over the place with no proper regard to their archaeological or cultural value. I have seen pictures of these new agers with these artifacts on pianos, placed in the grass in the middle of Stonehenge, and even in the sand on the beach. I am talking original important artifacts. No white cotton gloves to touch them, not in a museum protecting them, no scholarly oversite. Nothing.

I have two questions. Can anyone direct me to a website with an actual scientific discussion about these skulls? All I can find is this New Age crapola. Also, what can be done to protect these artifacts? They should be in a museum.

In case you want to check out some websites about crystal skulls, here are some links:

http://www.crystalskullexplorers.com/csarticle-p2.htm
http://www.world-mysteries.com/sar_6_1.htm
http://www.mendhak.com/paranormal/myste ... .php?id=25
http://www.crystalinks.com/crystalskulls.html

Gives you a flavor of what I am talking about. Now I realize that many of these skulls are probably fakes, but I have been looking into this long enough to know that some of them are not. Those originals need to be rescued. Imagine King Tut's funerary mask plunked down in the grass at Stonehenge or on a piano at a New Age party and I think you will share my concern.

[marduk]

there are only 6 genuine crystal skulls
they are all in museums or well looked after

The Amethyst Crystal Skull was discovered in the early 1900's in Mexico and is very primitively sculpted, unlike the Mitchell-Hedges skull. It is made of purple quartz and was also allegedly studied by Hewlett-Packard and shown to be cut against the axis.

The British Crystal Skull was bought by mercenaries in Mexico in the 1890's. It is not nearly as finely crafted as the Mitchell-Hedges skull. It is a clear by cloudy looking quartz crystal. It was formerly on display in the London's Museum of Mankind, but with the closure of the building in which it was exhibited, it has become part of the British Museum's Loan Collection, which is kept in storage and released for pertinent regional exhibitions.

Next is the ET Crystal Skull. This skull, made of a smoky quartz, was found in the early 20th century in Central America. It is called the ET skull because it is believed to look like the skull of an alien. This skull is also believed by some to possess healing powers.

The Paris Crystal Skull was also bought by mercenaries in Mexico in the 1890's. It is a clear by cloudy quartz and is not finely sculpted. It was in the Trocadero Museum of Paris, but since 2006, it is in a spendid showcase of the new "Musée des Arts Premiers", quai Branly, Paris.

The Texas Crystal skull, also known as Max, resides in Texas and is owned by JoAnn Parks. It was made from one single piece of crystal and weighs 18 pounds. It originated in Guatemala.

Last found is the Mayan Crystal Skull. It is primitively carved and was discovered in Guatemala. It is made of a clear quartz and was also allegedly studied at Hewlett-Packard. There it was discovered to have been cut against the axis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_skull

[Cognito]

From the pictures I have seen they seem to be quite remarkable and beautiful artifacts carved from some very tough materials to work with (quartz is HARD) that obviously took a great deal of time for an ancient craftsman to make.

Yes quartz is hard, being a value of 7 on the Mohs Scale:

http://www.galleries.com/minerals/hardness.htm

I am referencing a soft-coloured site so as not to offend Marduk's more creative, feminine side. Anything harder than 7 on that scale should help get 'er done. No UFOs needed!

[FreeThinker]

This is exactly what I am talking about. If this is an original artifact it should be in a museum, not on a New Age tour. For further info see:

http://www.carmeltemple.org/guest_bios/parks-j.htm

[Charlie Hatchett]

I am referencing a soft-coloured site so as not to offend Marduk's more creative, feminine side.

Sorry Mar, but that was pretty good.

[marduk]

Sorry Mar, but that was pretty good

my creative feminine side is a lesbian

[Charlie Hatchett]

my creative feminine side is a lesbian

...sick bas***d!

[clubs_stink]

I confess to having seen one of the new age crystal skulls...I understand they're just works of art, and I confess to being mystified as to the new age properties being ascribed to them.

I count the newagers hauling a skull around claiming to talk to it..right up there with Elijah and his flying saucers.

In ancient literature class the first question I asked after reading Elijah was "what was he smoking and where can I get some?"

[FreeThinker]

Seem like at least several of these original crystal skulls are NOT in museums but in the collections of private citizens who are not taking good care of them. Ancient crystal skulls that fall into this category include:

The Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull: in the possesion of Anna Mitchell-Hedges, his adopted daughter. (see her with the original skull here: http://www.mitchell-hedges.com/img/gallery/79-lg.jpg )

"MAX", the Texas Crystal Skull: in the possesion of JoAnn Parks (on a new age tour...from a Washington Post article found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01456.html *shaking head*)

The "Amethyst" Crystal Skull: in Texas right now and possibly up for sale

"ET" Crystal Skull: in the care of a New Ager named Joke Van Dieten (no joke!)

These artifacs are NOT in good hands and are NOT being propery cared for. It is a real shame.

[clubs_stink]

Seem like at least several of these original crystal skulls are NOT in museums but in the collections of private citizens who are not taking good care of them. Ancient crystal skulls that fall into this category include:

The Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull: in the possesion of Anna Mitchell-Hedges, his adopted daughter. (see her with the original skull here: http://www.mitchell-hedges.com/img/gallery/79-lg.jpg )

"MAX", the Texas Crystal Skull: in the possesion of JoAnn Parks (on a new age tour...from a Washington Post article found here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01456.html *shaking head*)

The "Amethyst" Crystal Skull: in Texas right now and possibly up for sale

"ET" Crystal Skull: in the care of a New Ager named Joke Van Dieten (no joke!)

These artifacs are NOT in good hands and are NOT being propery cared for. It is a real shame.

Sadly I forget which one I saw, but I do recall that I was "supposed" to hear the thing talking to me and have some sort of supernatural feelings.

I am not opposed to the supernatural (things science has not yet explained..) however I felt quite dull and unadvanced when I didn't hear peep out of the skull, nor feel anything odd.

I am not opposed to considering that certain minerals can conduct energy in unique ways (such as the Herkimer diamonds) but the idea that it is going to talk to me...well I felt like a failure

It is a shame that these relics are being used as modern day huckesters selling the snake oil of hope to people who so desperately need therapy. (and possibly medication.)

[marduk]

The Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull: in the possesion of Anna Mitchell-Hedges, his adopted daughte

is a fake and originates in germany

somebody found the receipt of sale to Micthell Hedges from a jewellers

[clubs_stink]

probably bought on EBAY

speaking of ebay..I was researching an opera folio and stumbled across this "merchant"

http://stores.ebay.com/Writing-and-the-Mind-of-Man

what he's doing to books should be criminal...and where do guys in "akron
Ohio" get access to papryrus fragments?

[Forum Monk]

Well at least it isn't a cucumber in the shape of the virgin Mary.

[marduk]

[whitedog]

The "quest" that Hedges took to Belize and specifically Lubaantun wasn't in any way an archaeological project. Hedges did indeed purchase the skull from an auction house earlier and as he had planned, arranged for his daughter to discover it on her birthday. It's known in some circles that the skull was made in Hong Kong. Hedges had allready destroyed much of the small stuctures at Lubaantun by using dinomite to blow open the tops of the stuctures so that he could gain access into what he was certain were inner chambers. Nothing was found but fill composed of discarded ceramics. I've been there several times while escorting Eartwatch tourists for Triad Archaeological Research and it's a terrible thing to see the jumbled mass of stones at the top of the small, round structures where the explosives destroyed them. At the time, there weren't any laws that restricted unauthorized or amature access to the sites. The skull was made with modern tools and although it's a well crafted piece, it holds no secrets from the ages. The real treasure is the site of Lubaantun. It and nearby Nimli Punit are well worth the time it takes to get to them. The surrounding countryside, like all of Belize, is a great place to see. Keeping one's focus on more down to earth subjects, Belize has countless areas where there are still unopened and unlooted tombs and ceremonial sites. Mostly in and around the thousands of caves that are in that area. I used to go down there for several months at a time when I worked for Dr. Gary Rex Walters in his ongoing Mayan Ceremonial Caves Project. We located many tombs up in the Mayan Mountain range that were intact. Some, in the Deep River area, are preclassic and early classic. Not having the time to dedicate to their proper documentation, we just left them untouched until some other time when we could concentrate our efforts on everything within. One that I'll be going back to this April when the Doc and I are back in the country again, is a tomb within a sealed chamber that sits above a vertical ten foot shaft. The boulders that've sealed it for about two thousand years at the top of the shaft are supported by five stacked ribs of large, flat rocks that run from the boulders down to a cut inner rim at the bottom of the shaft. The only safe way to open it is to remove the stones in the reverse order that they were originally put in place by using poles to support the boulders and removing the supporting rocks. Tricky. In one particular place, there are several rooms within a cave that were sealed up with dirt that was piled up to hide the doorways. The original floor of the cave has been raised, but a careful search revealed the top of a doorway that revealed a huge room on the other side when a flashlight was used to look in through a small opening that we made. Primarily, we'll be just checking on these areas to see if they've been looted. I doubt it though because except for the occasional indian who passes through the area on a hunt, the region is too remote from any village. The indians usually restrict their pilfering to the opening of the caves where water jars and polychrome ceramics can be found still in place after being left there by indians that've been dust for many, many centuries. The Ketchi Mayans are spooked by the darkness within the inner regions of the caves. That's where the Boogyman lives!