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he took off for Mexico where, according to David Hatcher NEW LIGHT Childress in his book, Lost Cities of North & Central America, he Frank Dorland was now able to subject the Crystal Skull to his was captured by Pancho Villa but eventually joined up with him. thorough examination process at his own pace. It had intrigued Mitchell-Hedges later explored the islands off Honduras and __ him since his first contact with it in the early 1950s. This was a around Jamaica. The artefacts he found underwater convinced _ piece of work, an ancient artefact that had no history, no legends, him that a high civilisation had existed there in the past. He con- _ no myths surrounding it, and no historical reference to track down cluded it was related to Atlantis. A theosophist and lover of the to give him starting clues—a fantastic challenge for one of the mystical sciences, F. A. Mitchell-Hedges had much to do with _ world's leading art conservators! ; secret societies. Dorland began by photographing it from every angle. He sub- jected it to microscopic analysis through a binocular microscope CRYSTAL SEULUGGRRY which gave him a 3D view of the Skull. One evening, the work This fascination with secret societies and mysteries prompted _had gone on too late to return the Skull to the vault where it was some sceptics to write that Anna Mitchell-Hedges never found the _ kept at the nearby Mill Valley Bank. Dorland noticed that as it sat Crystal Skull. It was claimed that "Mike" Mitchell-Hedges placed on the table in front of the fire, the eyes were refracting the fire it there for his daughter to exactly as it appeared in the find, and had really obtained it grate. He began to examine it during a secret rite years more minutely and found that before; he had to have some an amazing set of optical way to explain his possession properties had been carved of it, so he placed it in the rub- into the Skull. bie for his adopted daughter to Halfway back in the roof of find. the mouth there is a broad Another story among the plane which acts like a 45- sceptics to the Mitchell- degree prism. This directs Hedges’ find is from Joe light from beneath the Skull Nickells of the University of into the eye-sockets. This Kentucky, USA. This is men- means that if the Skull were tioned in the book, Arthur C. placed on an altar with a con- Clarke’s A-Z of Mysteries, cealed light below it, the light where authors Simon Welfare would be visible through the and John Fairley write that eyes as if being within the Nickells suggested Mitchell- eyes. A fire projected Hedges actually bought the "4 through the eyes in this way Skull at an auction at would create an extraordinary Sotheby's in London in 1943 flickering light-show which after it failed to sell. Nickells would deeply impress anyone argued that he liked to be seen not knowing these optical as a “swashbuckling charac- properties. ter" and made up the F There is also a thin ribbon- Lubaantun story to suit his F like surface next to the plane image. that acts like a magnifying” Regardless of how it was | The Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull, photographed by art conservator | 8lass. Behind the prism are found, the Crystal Skull is one Frank Dorland. [Source: The Message of the Crystal Skull] convex and concave surfaces of the most extraordinary arte- that gather light and direct it facts to be discovered this century. The method of manufacture out through the eye-sockets. The back of the Skull also acts as a and its purpose are a complete mystery. camera lens, gathering light from behind itself and projecting it Mitchell-Hedges had it in his possession from 1927 until his through the eyes. death in 1959. It was passed on to Anna to keep under her watch- Another unusual aspect is that the zygomatic arches carved next ful eye up to the present day. In 1964 she lent it to leading inter- to the cheekbones have a narrow space of crystal material national art conservators Frank and Mabel Dorland, who knew _— removed from them, so as to allow light from behind or under- Mitchell-Hedges from 1950. The Dorlands had an established neath to flow though and into the eyes again, producing startling reputation in art conservation and restoration—particularly reli- _ effects. If a person or light source behind were to be moved about gious art—among museums and cultural institutes worldwide. In __ or flickered, astounding optical images could be observed from in the 1960s their laboratories were considered to be the finest in the front. If what was happening behind the Skull were hidden from western United States, according to Alice Bryant. viewers in front, the images would appear to be emanating from Frank Dorland had pioneered a revolutionary wax restoration _ the Skull itself. technique that was regarded as the best in the field. And with the Frank Dorland also found two holes—one at each side of the Dorlands having particular expertise in religious art restoration, _ base, and invisible when the Skull stands upright—which support Anna believed they would be well-placed to conduct further stud- _ it at a perfect balance point so that it can be rocked back and forth ies. When Anna brought the Crystal Skull and another treasure, —_ without toppling over. The jawbone (which, as pointed out, was The Black Virgin of Kazan, to the New York City World Fair in _ found separately) fits perfectly into two polished sockets, and the 1964, she decided that the Skull should return with them for inves- _top of the Skull can be made to move up and down on the jaw and tigation. The Dorlands had the Russian icon in their care in 1962 _ vice versa. when Anna forwarded it to them for authentication. In December 1970, Dorland took the Skull for testing at the he took off for Mexico where, according to David Hatcher Childress in his book, Lost Cities of North & Central America, he was captured by Pancho Villa but eventually joined up with him. Mitchell-Hedges later explored the islands off Honduras and around Jamaica. The artefacts he found underwater convinced him that a high civilisation had existed there in the past. He con- cluded it was related to Atlantis. A theosophist and lover of the mystical sciences, F. A. Mitchell-Hedges had much to do with secret societies. 64 ¢ NEXUS CRYSTAL SKULDUGGERY OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1994