Hobbies And Interests
Crystal Skull Origins
Legends speak of 13 crystal skulls that, when brought together, will bring about profound transformations on earth. However, the number of skulls depends upon the source. For instance, Sandra Brown, a crystal skull researcher, refers to 36 crystal skulls, and Don Alejandro Perez, a Mayan high priest, mentions 52 crystal skulls.
The proposed sources of crystal skulls are just as varied. Suggested possibilities include aliens, inhabitants of Atlantis, an Inner-Earth society, the Mayans and the Aztecs. The Mayans are most often associated with crystal skulls; however, the Aztecs are a more likely choice, as skull imagery figures more prominently in their art and religion than the Mayans and they are considered to have been more highly skilled in sculpting crystal, especially quartz.
Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull
The Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull is the most well-known of all the crystal skulls. Mitchell-Hedges claimed his daughter found the skull in a Mayan Temple in British Honduras. However, no evidence exists to place her with him on the 1927 Lubaantun expedition, and reliable documentation has surfaced that shows Mitchell-Hedges actually purchased the skull during a London auction in 1943.
The Mitchell-Hedges skull weighs 11.7 pounds and is five inches high, five inches wide and seven inches long. Both its cranium and mandible are believed to come from the same block of clear quartz. Except for slight irregularities in the temples and cheekbones, it is an anatomically correct replica of the human skull.
Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull Examined
In 1970, Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, a leader in crystal research, examined the skull. They discovered the skull had been carved against the natural axis of the crystal. Modern crystal sculptors always carve with the orientation of a crystal's molecular symmetry to prevent shattering, even with today's lasers and high-tech cutting devices. Furthermore, they could find no microscopic scratches, which would indicate the use of modern, metal instruments.
Other Crystal Skulls
The British and Paris Museums have a pair of skulls, formed from cloudier crystal and of lesser craftsmanship. The Mayan Crystal Skull and the Amethyst Skull came to light in the early 1990s and were also examined by Hewlett-Packard and found to be cut against the axis of the crystals. The Texas Crystal Skull, called "Max," is a single-piece, clear crystal skull that surfaced in Texas in the early 1990s. The "ET" Crystal Skull is a smoky quartz skull that surfaced in the mid 1980s. Its name is based upon its alien-like, pointed cranium and exaggerated overbite. The Rose Quartz Crystal Skull, discovered near the border of Honduras and Guatemala, is slightly larger than the Mitchell-Hedges skull, but possesses a similar level of craftsmanship. Other crystal skulls include the Aztec Skulls, the Sha-Na-Ra, Jaguar Man and Rainbow skulls, the Brazilian Crystal Skull and the Atlantean Crystal Skull.