Crystal skulls are human skull-shaped carvings made from clear, milky white, or other types of quartz, also known as "rock crystal." Some people claim these skulls are ancient artifacts from Mesoamerica, made before European explorers arrived in the Americas. However, scientific studies of these skulls have shown that they were not made by ancient Mesoamerican people. Instead, research proves that the skulls were created in the mid-1800s or later, most likely in Europe. This was a time when people were very interested in ancient cultures. Many of the skulls were probably made in Germany, especially in the town of Idar-Oberstein, which was famous for working with quartz imported from Brazil during the late 1800s.
Stories about crystal skulls having magical powers are not found in real Mesoamerican or Native American myths or spiritual traditions. Some people in the New Age movement claim these skulls can show supernatural abilities, and they often appear in fictional stories. Crystal skulls have been widely used in many science fiction TV shows, books, movies, and video games.
Collections
During the late 19th century, the trade in fake pre-Columbian artifacts grew so much that in 1886, Smithsonian archaeologist William Henry Holmes wrote an article titled "The Trade in Fake Mexican Antiquities" for Science. Even though museums had some skulls before, Eugène Boban, a person who sells old items and opened his shop in Paris in 1870, is most known for 19th-century museum collections of crystal skulls. Most of Boban's collection, including three crystal skulls, was sold to researcher Alphonse Pinart, who donated the collection to the Trocadéro Museum, which later became the Musée de l'Homme.
Research
Many crystal skulls are said to be from before Europeans arrived in the Americas, often linked to the Aztec or Maya civilizations. Art from ancient Mesoamerica shows many skulls, but none of the crystal skulls in museum collections were found at places where archaeologists recorded their discovery. Studies at the British Museum in 1967, 1996, and 2004 found that the lines carved on the teeth of these skulls (which lack separate jawbones, unlike the Mitchell-Hedges skull) were made using tools like rotary devices, which were developed in the 19th century. This suggests the skulls could not have been made by ancient Mesoamerican people.
The type of crystal used in the skulls was studied and found to contain chlorite, a material only found in Madagascar and Brazil. Since these regions were not part of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, the skulls could not have been made there. Researchers concluded the skulls were likely crafted in the 19th century in Germany, especially in the town of Idar-Oberstein, known for working with imported Brazilian quartz during that time.
It is known that the crystal skulls in the British Museum and the Musée de l'Homme in Paris were originally sold by a French dealer named Eugène Boban, who operated in Mexico City from 1860 to 1880. The British Museum's skull passed through New York’s Tiffany & Co., while the Musée de l'Homme’s skull was donated by Alphonse Pinart, an ethnographer who bought it from Boban.
In 1992, the Smithsonian Institution examined a crystal skull given by an anonymous person, who claimed to have bought it in Mexico City in 1960 and believed it was Aztec. The study found the skull was also made recently. The Smithsonian confirmed that Boban likely obtained his skulls from Germany, matching earlier findings by the British Museum.
In May 2008, the Journal of Archaeological Science published a study by the British Museum and the Smithsonian. Using tools like electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography, researchers discovered that the British Museum’s skull was shaped with a rough abrasive like corundum or diamond, and a metal rotary disc. The Smithsonian’s skull used silicon carbide (carborundum), a synthetic material made with modern industrial methods. Since carborundum was only created in the 1890s and became widely available in the 20th century, the researchers concluded the skull was likely made in the 1950s or later.
Individual skulls
The crystal skull in the British Museum first appeared in 1881 in the shop of a Paris antiquarian named Eugène Boban. The origin of the skull was not mentioned in Boban’s catalog at that time. He tried to sell it to Mexico’s national museum as an Aztec artifact but was not successful. Later, Boban moved his business to New York City, where the skull was sold to George H. Sisson. In 1887, George F. Kunz displayed the skull at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in New York City. The skull was later sold at auction and purchased by Tiffany and Co., who then sold it to the British Museum in 1897. This skull is similar to the Mitchell-Hedges skull, but it has less detail and no movable lower jaw.
The British Museum describes the skull’s origin as “probably European, 19th century AD” and states it is “not an authentic pre-Columbian artifact.” It has been confirmed that the skull was made with modern tools and is not genuine.
The most famous and mysterious skull was allegedly found in 1924 by Anna Mitchell-Hedges, the adopted daughter of British adventurer and author F. A. Mitchell-Hedges. A 1990 documentary, Crystal Skull of Lubaantun, focused on this skull. Smithsonian researchers described it as “very nearly a replica of the British Museum skull—almost exactly the same shape, but with more detailed modeling of the eyes and teeth.”
Anna claimed she found the skull buried under a collapsed altar in a temple in Lubaantun, British Honduras (now Belize). However, F. A. Mitchell-Hedges never wrote about this discovery in his books on Lubaantun. Others present during the excavation did not record the skull’s discovery or Anna’s presence. Evidence shows that F. A. Mitchell-Hedges bought the skull at a Sotheby’s auction in London on October 15, 1943, from art dealer Sydney Burney. He mentioned this purchase in a letter to his brother in December 1943.
The skull is made from a block of clear quartz about the size of a small human cranium. It measures 5 inches (13 cm) high, 7 inches (18 cm) long, and 5 inches (13 cm) wide. The lower jaw is separate. In the 1970s, art restorer Frank Dorland examined the skull and claimed it was carved without using metal tools. He noted signs of grinding on the teeth and speculated the skull was shaped over 150 to 300 years using sand. Dorland estimated it could be up to 12,000 years old. However, tests later showed it was made from a single piece of quartz, not multiple parts.
The skull came to the attention of writer Richard Garvin, who arranged for it to be tested at Hewlett-Packard’s crystal laboratories. The tests confirmed it was made from one crystal of quartz. The lower jaw was made from the same type of crystal as the rest of the skull. No further tests were conducted on how it was made or its age.
Archaeologist Norman Hammond noted signs of metal drilling on the skull’s holes, which were likely used for support pegs. Anna Mitchell-Hedges refused to allow further scientific testing of the skull.
The first published mention of the skull appeared in 1936 in the British journal Man, where it was described as being in the possession of Sydney Burney, who owned it since 1933. F. A. Mitchell-Hedges briefly mentioned the skull in his 1954 autobiography, Danger My Ally, stating it was at least 3,600 years old and used by a Maya high priest for rituals. Later editions of the book omitted any mention of the skull.
In a 1970 letter, Anna said she was told by Maya people that the skull was used to cause death. Because of this, the skull is sometimes called “The Skull of Doom.” Anna displayed the skull publicly from 1967 until her death in 2007. After her death, the skull was owned by her husband, Bill Homann, who still believes in its mystical powers.
In 2007, Homann brought the skull to Smithsonian anthropologist Jane MacLaren Walsh for examination. Walsh used ultraviolet light, a microscope, and computerized tomography to study the skull. In 2008, Walsh created molds of the skull’s surface for further analysis. The results showed the skull was carved with a high-speed metal tool coated with an abrasive like diamond. Walsh concluded the skull was likely made in the 1930s and based on the British Museum skull, which had been displayed since 1898.
In a National Geographic Channel documentary, forensic artist Gloria Nusse used a replica of the skull to create a face. The reconstructed face had features resembling a European woman. This suggested the skull was not made by ancient Americans.
Another skull, part of a collection at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, was sold by Eugène Boban to Alphonse Pinart. This skull is about 10 cm (4 in) tall and has a hole drilled through its center. It was tested in 2007–2008 by France’s Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France.
Paranormal claims and spiritual associations
Some people believe that crystal skulls can perform amazing or unusual things. Anna Mitchell-Hedges claimed she found a crystal skull that could cause visions, cure cancer, and even kill a person. She also said she saw a vision of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
In the 1931 play The Satin Slipper by Paul Claudel, King Philip II of Spain uses a skull made of a single piece of rock crystal. It is lit by sunlight and allows him to see the defeat of the Spanish Armada during its attack on England.
Scientists have not found any proof that crystal skulls have healing or supernatural powers. They have not discovered any unusual events connected to the skulls and do not see a reason to study them further, except to confirm their origin and how they were made.
Another idea, not supported by history, connects crystal skulls to the end of a Maya calendar cycle on December 21, 2012. This idea suggests that thirteen crystal skulls might prevent a disaster linked to the end of this calendar. This claim was discussed in a 2008 TV show on the Sci Fi Channel and later on Discovery Channel Canada. People interviewed included Richard Hoagland, who linked the skulls to life on Mars, and David Hatcher Childress, who wrote about ancient civilizations and anti-gravity.
In his book Serpent of Light, Drunvalo Melchizedek wrote that he saw indigenous Mayan descendants with crystal skulls during ceremonies in the Yucatán. He claimed the skulls contained the souls of ancient Mayans waiting for a time when their knowledge would be needed again.
Stories about crystal skulls and Native American spiritual beliefs, as written by some New Age authors like Jamie Sams, are not supported by evidence. Instead, Philip Jenkins suggests these stories began with F.A. Mitchell-Hedges and were later popularized.
By the 1970s, crystal skulls became part of New Age beliefs, often linked to the lost civilization of Atlantis. These beliefs included the idea that there are exactly thirteen crystal skulls. These stories are not connected to Native American traditions, but they gained attention from New Age writers.