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these claims, and it is clear that Blake had an obvious motive as to why he wanted to smear Boban's character: he was specifically after Boban's share of the market. In short, Walsh has uncovered good indications that Boban had skulls and sold them; but as to a German connection, she has relied on the words of a man who almost openly stated that he was out to smudge Boban's ethics. As such, the story of how the crystal skulls have been treated by academics has—alas—all the usual hallmarks of how the scientific establishment treats such anomalous finds and pushes them aside, labelling them as fakes. And afficionados of the genre will know that involvement of the Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum in such a controversy is not a unique event. these claims, and it is clear that Blake had an obvious motive as to In his autobiography Danger My Ally (1954), Mitchell-Hedges why he wanted to smear Boban's character: he was specifically stated that "the Skull of Doom is made of pure rock crystal and after Boban's share of the market. according to scientists it must have taken 150 years, generation In short, Walsh has uncovered good indications that Boban had _after generation working all days of their lives, patiently rubbing skulls and sold them; but as to a German connection, she has down with sand an immense block of rock crystal until the perfect relied on the words of a man who almost openly stated that he skull emerged". He continued: "It is at least 3,600 years old and was out to smudge Boban's ethics. As such, the story of how the according to legend was used by the High Priest of the Maya crystal skulls have been treated by academics has—alas—all the when performing esoteric rites. It is said that when he willed usual hallmarks of how the scientific establishment treats such death with the help of the skull, death invariably followed. It has anomalous finds and pushes them aside, labelling them as fakes. been described as the embodiment of all evil." For a man who And afficionados of the genre will know that involvement of the had "danger" as his "ally", he obviously tried to frighten his Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum in such a readers with the power of this object. controversy is not a unique event. So, Mitchell-Hedges associated the crystal skull with the Maya in 1600 BC—when the Maya were not yet around. Noting Archaeological Speculation Mitchell-Hedges's interest in finding evidence for Atlantis, many Could these skulls be genuine archaeological finds? As Morton __ people have argued that the skull is therefore a relic of this earlier and Thomas pointed out, Boban's artefacts civilisation. What the sceptics have made of went on sale at a time when Teotihuacan, this can be easily divined... just north of Mexico City, was being excavated. Teotihuacan is one of the most A Crystal Legacy important sites in the Americas, with Today, three main theories exist about pyramids—and a pyramid layout—on par what crystal skulls are and where they come with the pyramids of the Giza Plateau. Boban is known to have visited the from. One argument states that they are an extraterrestrial legacy; another that they are This skull is by far excavations; in fact, he did so in the the most beautiful, remnants of a lost civilisation (often to be company of Leopoldo Batres, the Inspector . read as Atlantis), both of which are favoured of Monuments. Interestingly, Blake claimed detailed and on the New Age circuit. For the sceptics, that Batres, too, was "not only a fraud but a complex, and they are "obviously" late-19th-century swindler". Even if these allegations were . ' fabrications from Germany. A fourth theory, true, did Boban get the skull from consists of two parts: however, might be closer to the truth. Teotihuacdn? If so, the finger of guilt the skull itself and a The problem of the crystal skulls is that should not point to Batres. In those days, half of the finds the excavators made ended up on the black market, while the other half became part of the "archaeological record". It is known that even the great Howard Carter, in his exploration of the Tutankhamun tomb—heralded as the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century—fell victim to this. Either way, concluding that the skulls are genuine archaeological treasures is more logical—and better documented—than speculating about a As mentioned, Michael Coe has theoretical German connection. scorned those laboratory scientists who However, it is a fact that none of the skulls was found during an _—have preached against the authenticity of the skulls. And they are made of crystal. Quartz crystal does not age; it does not corrode, erode, decay or change in any way with time. It cannot be carbon dated. A skull could be hundreds if not thousands of years old, yet still look as if it was made yesterday—and vice versa. Hence, other means of dating had to be devised, and so evidence of skulls having been polished with wheels has become the key determinant of whether they are modern/post-Columbian or "genuine" archaeological artefacts. separate jawbone which allows for movement, as if the head is speaking. archaeological excavation—that is, apart from the so-called rightfully so, as one skull, owned by Mexican Norma Redo, is Mitchell-Hedges Crystal Skull, named after its discoverer, the mostly notorious, at least for some, as the skull that supports a adventurer F. A. (Mike) Mitchell-Hedges, if we believe the large crucifix on its top. The skull shows similar "evidence" of "official" version of its find. This skull is by far the most wheelwork, but from his analysis archaeologist Dr Andrew beautiful, detailed and complex, and consists of two parts: the Rankin argued that the skull was sculpted from the same crystal skull itself and a separate jawbone which allows for movement, as as that of the crystal goblet from tomb no. 7 at Monte Alban, if the head is speaking. Famed science fiction writer Arthur C. which is an uncontested archaeological find. Furthermore, the Clarke used an image of this skull as the logo for his popular 1571 hallmark on the crucifix is also deemed to be genuine, thus television series Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. in general excluding the likelihood that this skull is of 19th- The official version goes that the skull was found in the ruins of | century European fabrication. In short, this hard evidence Lubantuun in Belize (then British Honduras) in 1924 during an confirms what Michael Coe has argued: that the Maya apparently archaeological survey of the site, though controversy reigns over do seem to have been able to work with crystal...and thus may this conclusion (see the article on the Mitchell-Hedges Skull in have made the crystal skulls after all. the next edition of NEXUS). This "Skull of Doom", as Mitchell- However, the Maya would not have been the only ancient Hedges himself labelled it, was not referenced until 1931 as being civilisation to have mastered working with crystal. Robert in existence. Temple's The Crystal Sun (2000), subtitled Rediscovering a lost This skull is by far the most beautiful, detailed and complex, and consists of two parts: the skull itself and a separate jawbone which allows for APRIL — MAY 2008 NEXUS 53 movement, as if the head is speaking. www.nexusmagazine.com