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 Mesoamerican artifacts from before European arrival in the Americas. However, scientific studies of these skulls have shown that they were made in the mid-19th century or later, most likely in Europe. This was a time when many people were interested in ancient cultures. Evidence suggests the skulls were crafted in Germany, possibly in the town of Idar-Oberstein, which was known for making items from Brazilian quartz imported during the late 19th century.

Legends about crystal skulls having mystical powers are not found in real Mesoamerican or other Native American myths or spiritual traditions. Some people in the New Age movement claim these skulls show paranormal abilities, and they are often shown this way in books, movies, and other fictional works. Crystal skulls have appeared in many science fiction stories, television shows, novels, films, and video games.

Collections

During the late 1800s, trade in fake pre-Columbian artifacts became widespread. In 1886, William Henry Holmes, a Smithsonian archaeologist, wrote an article titled "The Trade in Spurious Mexican Antiquities" for the journal Science. While museums had collected skulls before, Eugène Boban, an antiquities dealer who opened a shop in Paris in 1870, is most closely linked to 19th-century museum collections of crystal skulls. Most of Boban’s collection, including three crystal skulls, was sold to Alphonse Pinart, an ethnographer. Pinart later donated the collection to the Trocadéro Museum, which later became the Musée de l'Homme.

Research

Many crystal skulls are said to be from the pre-Columbian era, often linked to the Aztec or Maya civilizations. Mesoamerican art includes many images of skulls, but none of the crystal skulls in museum collections come from confirmed archaeological digs. Studies at the British Museum in 1967, 1996, and 2004 found that the lines carved on the teeth (these skulls lack separate jawbones, unlike the Mitchell-Hedges skull) were made with tools like rotary devices used by jewelers in the 19th century. This suggests the skulls are not from the pre-Columbian period.

The type of crystal used in these skulls was examined for tiny pieces of chlorite. This material is only found in Madagascar and Brazil, which were not accessible to pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. Researchers concluded the skulls were made in the 19th century in Germany, likely in the town of Idar-Oberstein, known for crafting items from 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 worked in Mexico City between 1860 and 1880. The British Museum’s skull passed through Tiffany & Co. in New York, while the Musée de l'Homme’s skull was donated by Alphonse Pinart, an ethnographer who purchased it from Boban.

In 1992, the Smithsonian Institution studied a crystal skull from an anonymous source, who claimed to have bought it in Mexico City in 1960 and said it was Aztec in origin. The investigation found the skull was made recently. The Smithsonian confirmed that Boban likely obtained his skulls from Germany, matching the British Museum’s findings.

In May 2008, the Journal of Archaeological Science published a study by the British Museum and the Smithsonian. Using tools like electron microscopes and X-ray machines, researchers found that the British Museum’s skull was shaped with a rough abrasive such as corundum or diamond and a metal rotary disc. The Smithsonian’s skull was worked with silicon carbide, a synthetic material made using modern industrial methods. Since silicon carbide was only developed 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 was first seen in 1881 at the shop of a Paris antiquarian named Eugène Boban. At that time, its origin was not listed in Boban’s records. 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 it at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in New York City. The skull was later sold at auction and bought by Tiffany and Co., who then gave it to the British Museum in 1897. This skull is similar to the Mitchell-Hedges skull but has less detail and no movable lower jaw.

The British Museum lists 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 using modern tools and is not genuine.

The most famous and mysterious skull is said to have been found in 1924 by Anna Mitchell-Hedges, the adopted daughter of British adventurer F. A. Mitchell-Hedges. A 1990 documentary, Crystal Skull of Lubaantun, focused on this skull. Smithsonian researchers described it as nearly identical in shape to the British Museum skull but with more detailed modeling of the eyes and teeth.

Anna claimed she discovered 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 about Lubaantun. Others present during the excavation did not record the skull’s discovery or Anna’s presence. Recent 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. In December 1943, he wrote to his brother that he had purchased the skull from Burney.

The skull is made of a block of clear quartz, about the size of a small human cranium, measuring 5 inches (13 cm) high, 7 inches (18 cm) long, and 5 inches (13 cm) wide. Its lower jaw is separate. In the 1970s, art restorer Frank Dorland examined the skull and noted that it was carved without regard to the crystal’s natural structure and without metal tools. He found signs of mechanical grinding on the teeth and suggested it was carved with diamonds and polished over 150 to 300 years. Dorland estimated it could be up to 12,000 years old, but tests showed it had the same properties as other quartz crystals.

While in Dorland’s care, the skull was studied by writer Richard Garvin, who arranged for tests at Hewlett-Packard’s crystal laboratories. The tests showed the skull was made from a single quartz crystal, and the lower jaw matched the crystal’s growth pattern. No further tests were conducted on its age or method of creation.

Archaeologist Norman Hammond noted signs of metal drilling on the skull’s holes. Anna Mitchell-Hedges refused later requests for scientific testing. The earliest written record of the skull appeared in 1936, when it was described as being in the possession of Sydney Burney, who had 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. Later editions of the book omitted any mention of the skull. In 1970, Anna claimed Maya elders told her the skull was used to cause death, leading to its nickname, “The Skull of Doom.”

Anna toured with the skull from 1967, displaying it for pay-per-view. She continued giving interviews about it 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. Using ultraviolet light, a microscope, and computerized tomography, Walsh found evidence the skull was carved with a high-speed metal tool coated in diamond abrasive. Her research showed that ancient artisans used stone or wooden tools, later using copper and abrasive sands. These tests suggested the skull was likely made in the 1930s, based on the British Museum skull, which had been displayed since 1898.

In a National Geographic Channel documentary, forensic artist Gloria Nusse recreated the skull’s face on a replica. The face had features resembling a European woman, leading experts to conclude the skull could not have been made by ancient Americans.

Another skull, about 10 cm (4 in) high, was sold by Eugène Boban to Alphonse Pinart. It has a hole drilled through its center and is part of a collection at the Musée du Quai Branly. Scientific tests in 2007–08 by France’s Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France confirmed its modern origin.

Paranormal claims and spiritual associations

Some people believe that crystal skulls can create unusual or supernatural events. Anna Mitchell-Hedges claimed that the skull she found could cause visions and cure cancer, that she once used it to harm someone, and that she saw a future event involving the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

In the 1931 play The Satin Slipper by Paul Claudel, King Philip II of Spain uses "a death's head made from a single piece of rock crystal," lit by "a ray of the setting sun," to see the defeat of the Spanish Armada in its attack on England.

Scientific experts have not found any evidence to support claims that crystal skulls have healing or supernatural powers. They have not observed any unusual events connected to the skulls and do not see a need for further study, except to confirm their origin and how they were made.

Another idea, not supported by history, connects crystal skulls to the end of the Maya calendar cycle on December 21, 2012. This idea suggests that thirteen mystical skulls would prevent a disaster linked to the end of the calendar. This claim appeared in a 2008 program titled The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls, which included interviews with people like Richard Hoagland and David Hatcher Childress, who made other unusual claims about ancient civilizations and space.

In his book Serpent of Light, author Drunvalo Melchizedek writes that he saw indigenous Mayan descendants holding crystal skulls during ceremonies in the Yucatán. He claimed the skulls contained the souls of ancient Mayans who waited for a time when their knowledge would be needed again.

Stories about crystal skulls and Native American spiritual beliefs, as described by some writers, are not supported by evidence. Instead, scholar Philip Jenkins suggests that these myths began with F.A. Mitchell-Hedges and were later shared by others.

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 were exactly thirteen such skulls. These ideas would not relate to North American Indian traditions if not for the interest of some New Age writers.