Faked but Not Forgotten: The Enduring Appeal of the Crystal Skulls

Summary

Supposedly originating from pre-Columbian Mesoamerican sites, the crystal skulls are one of the most iconic sets of fake artifacts which have graced museum shelves and the public’s imagination. The first crystal skulls appeared in collections during the late 1800’s, and well-known specimens are housed today as modern fakes at the Smithsonian and British Museums. Most media coverage of the skulls has revolved around the privately owned, so-called "Skull of Doom", claimed to be of Mayan origin and possessing psychic powers. A recent surge in media coverage of the crystal skulls occurred surrounding the 2008 movie release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which included ancient Peruvian artifacts with extraterrestrial ties. That same year the Quai Branly Museum in Paris announced that tests conducted on their crystal skull revealed it to be a forgery likely made in the late 19th century. News articles at this time focus on the known skulls as fraudulent artifacts; yet sensationalized television shows and cinema reiterate the appeal of the objects as psychic connectors to ancient knowledge. Despite the best known artifacts being thoroughly debunked, the mystery of the crystal skulls still provides enduring fodder for new-age spiritualists and science-fiction writers alike.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• News of the Weird (Archaeology)

Keywords

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