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ORIGIN AND SYMBOLISM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULLS ORIGIN SYMBOLISM AND CRYSTAL SKULLS THE The mysterious crystal skulls are likely to have originated in Central America and may have performed an important role in reenacting the Mayans’ creation myth and networking their temple complexes. Ithough researchers have written dozens of books and hundreds of articles about crystal skulls, few have attempted to explain the origin and purpose of these sculptures. For some, the crystal skulls are 19th-century "hoaxes"; for others, they are extraterrestrial artefacts; while yet others believe they are remnants of a lost civilisation. Perhaps the most likely explanation is that they are part and parcel of the ancient cultures, particularly the Mayan, that existed in the area of Central America where they were found. Could it be that these skulls were one of the most important relics in the sacred temple complexes? Crystal skulls speak to the imagination, but are some of these skulls and their stories too good to be true? The English artist Damien Hirst focused his 2007 exposition "Beyond Belief" around a platinum skull completely covered by 8,601 diamonds weighing 1,106 carats. "For the Love of God" is a life-sized cast of a human skull containing a single large diamond in the middle of the forehead, reportedly worth US$4.2 million alone. Hirst financed the project himself, and estimated its cost as between £10 and £15 million (approx. US$20-US$30 million). It is the most expensive piece of contemporary art ever created. He later sold the skull to an unnamed investment group for £100 million (approx. US$200 million). The fourth instalment of the Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, has Indy in a race against Soviet agents to find a crystal skull. In an early episode of the television series Stargate SG-1, a crystal skull artefact, left behind by an ancient extraterrestrial civilisation, was used to transport people between Earth and the aliens' home world. Crystal skulls have therefore served Hollywood and the entertainment industry well. But Tinseltown’'s plotlines are very much copied from existing theories about crystal skulls—one of which was insured for US$500,000, and this was 30 years ago. But what are they? The crystal skulls began their slow climb to fame in the 1980s, largely through researcher Joshua Shapiro's meeting Sandra Bowen and Nick Nocerino, who had a crystal skull named Sha-Na-Ra in their pos ion. Slowly, Shapiro became exposed to a number of other skulls, with names such as the Mayan Crystal Skull, the Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull and the Texas Crystal Skull (also known as Max, supposedly given to the people of Guatemala by a Tibetan healer). In March 1989, Bowen, Shapiro and Nocerino's Mysteries of the Crystal Skulls Revealed was released. The book created a vehicle through which the authors were able to "meet" several more skulls, with names such as Windsong, Rainbow, Madre, Synergy and even ones named Skully and ET. ET is a smoky quartz skull found in the early 20th century in Central America. It was given its nickname because its pointed cranium and exaggerated overbite resemble those of an alien being (and the skull is somewhat similar to the alien-looking one that Indiana Jones needs to find). ET is part of the private collection of Joke (pronounced "Yo-kay") Van Dieten, who tours with her skulls to share the healing powers she believes they possess. Today, there are dozens of crystal skulls in circulation. The majority of these are what are perhaps best called "second-generation" skulls—modern fabrications, owned or "worked" by people who use the skulls for healing, meditation, channelling, etc. But there are also a dozen or so skulls that appear to be older and from unknown provenance. These crystal skulls have largely appeared out of nowhere, often going straight into private collections. Only two skulls sit in museums—one in London, the other in Paris. by Philip Coppens © 2008 PO Box 13722 North Berwick EH39 4WB United Kingdom Email: info@philipcoppens.com Website: http://www. philipcoppens.com PO Box 13722 North Berwick EH39 4WB United Kingdom Email: info@philipcoppens.com Website: http://www. philipcoppens.com APRIL — MAY 2008 NEXUS = 51 Sacred Relics or Alien Artefacts? by Philip Coppens © 2008 www.nexusmagazine.com