The Legend of the Crystal Skulls

Since the dawn of man, skulls have been a symbol of death and have appeared in the artwork of cultures all over the globe. Crystal skulls of supposedly ancient origin have been found in Central America and Mexico and have become a fascinating subject for archaeologists to probe. Apparently made by the pre-Colombian people of Mesoamerica, such as the Maya, the Toltecs and the Aztecs, these spectacular sculptures were believed to have been crafted thousands of years ago. Everything that is known about ancient lapidary work suggests the skulls should have shattered when they were carved, yet they exist. What’s even more remarkable about them is that they were made from quartz crystals. Many modern marvels—from computer chips to telecommunication devices—could not function without this miraculous mineral. Were these mysterious skulls created from quartz by ancient artists? Or is there more to the story?



According to legend, the Mesoamericans were familiar with the information-storing ability of quartz. Located in Earth’s continental crust, this abundant mineral is found in a variety of colors, however only colorless or white crystals are considered “pure” quartz. This beautiful mineral has attracted attention from the earliest times. In fact, clear crystal was known to the ancient Greeks who gave it the name krystallos.

The Mesoamericans supposedly used quartz crystals to sculpt thirteen, life-size skulls. Designed for ceremonies and rituals, these “ancient computers” were created to record data for eternity and are said to possess magical properties. Not only are they believed to contain answers to the mysteries of the universe, they also reportedly provide the key to preventing the Apocalypse, which legend foretells will occur in 2012, the year the ancient Mayan calendar comes to an end.

Only a few of the legendary crystal skulls have been located. Several were reportedly discovered by archaeologists near Mayan and Aztec ruins beginning in the late 19th century. Today, a handful of them are housed in museums around the world. Three of the most famous examples belong to the British Museum in London, the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, and the Musée du Quay Branly in Paris. Another artifact, the “Skull of Doom,” is part of a private collection. British banker-turned-explorer Frederick Arthur Mitchell-Hedges claimed the skull was discovered by his daughter Anna during an expedition in Belize in 1924. Its sinister moniker stems from the ill-fortune supposedly passed on to anyone who touches it. Today, the sculpture is renowned because it is similar in form to an actual human skull, and even has a removable mandible. Other crystal skulls tend to be more stylized, with elongated or unrealistic features.

Those who believe in the paranormal often claim the thirteen crystal skulls can cause miracles. Anna Mitchell-Hedges asserted that the skull she allegedly discovered could create visions and that she saw a premonition of John F. Kennedy’s assassination within the crystal. A number of stories speak of bringing together all thirteen skulls to unlock the secrets of the universe. But are the crystal skulls real or just an elaborate hoax?

For years, historians wondered about the truth behind the mystical, magical artifacts. The legend of the crystal skulls seemed to be a mystery on par with the creation of Stonehenge, the Egyptian pyramids or the Moai statues of Easter Island. Although historians recognized the skulls did not reflect the stylistic characteristics of the various Mesoamerican cultures, they needed the help of scientists to uncover the entire truth. According to a report published in May 2008 in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the two skulls held in the British Museum and the Smithsonian are most likely modern in origin, and are not ancient at all.

Scientific analysis revealed both were sculpted with tools not available to the Maya, Aztecs or any other early Mesoamerican culture. Using an electron microscope, a team of scientists demonstrated the skulls were probably made with a spinning, metal tool. The pre-Columbian people did not work with metal until very late in their history. Ancient lapidaries most likely combined abrasive sand with wood, bone or stone tools to carve and sculpt works of art. Also, the crystal skulls are much too highly polished and perfectly smoothed to be authentic. As to the remaining skulls that the team did not analyze, Professor Ian Freestone, one of the researchers, told BBC News, “None of them have a good archaeological provenance and most appeared suspiciously in the last decades of the 20th Century. So we have to be skeptical.”

Analysis also showed the unknown sculptor(s) added an abradant which made it easier to shape the quartz crystal. The substance used to create the Smithsonian skull was likely synthetic in nature and could only have been produced in the modern era. A study of the skull in Paris, currently on display in the Musée de l’Homme, produced similar results. Despite the reports, all three museums have not pulled the skulls from their collections and continue to exhibit them.

The Skull of Doom has also proved to be a fake. There are no photographs of the skull among those taken during Mitchell-Hedges’s expedition in Belize and there is no documentation of the explorer displaying the skull prior to 1943. Tests conducted in the ‘70s revealed the crystal used to create the skull most likely came from Brazil or Madagascar, far from the realm of the ancient Maya or Aztecs. Not only that, the story of the skull’s discovery was completely fabricated. F.A. Mitchell-Hedges actually purchased it at an auction at Sotheby’s in 1943. Some historians believe a French antiquities dealer named Eugéne Boban (shown on the right) may have been responsible for the creation of the most famous skulls in the 1800s.

Claims of the healing and supernatural properties of the crystal skulls also have no support within the scientific community. Researchers have found no evidence of unusual phenomena associated with the skulls or any reason for further investigation. Although the legend of the crystal skulls has been debunked, the artifacts did provide an intriguing puzzle for scientists that eventually proved to be more hokum than history.