Episode 373: Crystal Skulls: Supernatural or Superb Forgeries?

On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we look into the realm of antiquity and the supernatural (or the world of forgeries and lies) and explore the existence of the 13 infamous Crystal Skulls. These skulls were all allegedly unearthed in the mid to late 1800s and were said to be found in areas such as Mexico. Claims were that they came form Aztec, Toltec, and Mayan cultures, and they were sold to some of the most renowned antiquity dealers and museums in the world. Their method of manufacture was far beyond anything that was possible in the ancient world (and supposedly even beyond the world of the 1800s!).

While they all differ in composition and design, most of them came from the same antique dealer, a man named Eugene Boban. These skulls are said to have special powers such as healing and visions of the future and even sounds and lights emanating from them. So, what exactly are these skulls, where did the come from, and what do modern archaeologists think of them?

To answer this question, it’s best to focus on the most famous of them all, The Skull of Doom. This crystal skull was allegedly discovered by F. A. Mitchell-Hedges while on an expedition to the Mayan ruins of Lubaantum. They were there to find Atlantis. Why not? But his daughter Anna Mitchell-Hedges was there on the dig, and she found this crystal skull. The stories of the Skull of Doom were that it gave her the ability to see JFK’s assassination in advance, and that ancient Mayan priests could kill people by focusing the harmony of the skull with the harmony of the victim.

This skull finally made its way to an art restorer and eventually the Hewlett Packard crystal labs for study. Interesting things were discovered about it: it was forged from a single block of crystal; it was made without metal tools; and was carved against the natural axis of the quarts, which is a very difficult thing to do without shattering an object, especially on something as intricate as the crystal skull.

So, while many myths of the skull were put to rest by the HP study, many others were only enhanced. This piece and one in the Smithsonian underwent very stringent scientific analysis, and at the end of the day, the experts think these are not thousand of years old, but were carved in a city in Germany in the 1800s.

To what end were they carved? Did the experts get it wrong? How did this person in Germany develop techniques that still baffle many people today? What is the explanation for how the crystal skull gives you visions? How many crystal skulls are for sale in the modern world? Listen, laugh, learn.