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INVESTIGATIVE FILES JOE NICKELL

Riddle of the Crystal Skulls

ere and there were not mysterious enough, around the world later editions of Danger My Hare found mysteri- Ally omitted all references to ous artifacts, crystal skulls the skull, an action which that many New Age enthu- the publishers disclaimed siasts believe possess mysti- knowledge of. cal powers. Now new To answer the many claims—and new reviews of questions posed by the crys- the evidence—spark further tal skull—specifically, Did controversy. What is the Anna Mitchell-Hedges truth about these remark- indeed find it at Lubaantun able objects? or, if not, where did it come from? and, Does the skull “Skull of Doom” Figure 1. The Mitchell-Hedges “Skull of Doom”—carved from a block of rock actually have the mystical Perhaps the most famous of crystal, allegedly by the ancient Mayans—is shown as it appeared in the July powers ascribed to it?—I 1936 Man, at which time it was owned by art dealer Sidney Burney. the artifacts—dubbed “the began an investigation with weirdest gem in the world” work, and it was supposedly his young my forensic colleague John (Welfare and Fairley 1980, 51) and “the adopted daughter, Anna, who found it F. Fischer that ran from 1982 to 1984. granddaddy of all crystal balls” (Garvin under an altar of the ruined city of We obtained as much data on the skull 1973, 6)—is the one commonly known Lubaantun (from the Mayan word for as possible: we combed through old as the Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull. It is “place of fallen stones”). (See figure 1.) newspaper records; corresponded with referred to as “the Skull of Doom” by Mitchell-Hedges mentioned the skull major museums and laboratories; con- those who believe it holds the power of in the first edition of his auto- sulted distinguished experts; amassed death over anyone who would mock it biography, Danger My Ally (1954), yet information on the Maya, on rock crys- (Nickell 1988, 30). did not specify where or by whom it had tal, on the skull motif in art; and sought Fashioned from a single block of nat- been found. He merely published a pho- out those who had examined the skull, ural rock crystal (massive clear quartz) tograph of what he called “the sinister as well as Anna Mitchell-Hedges herself. although its lower jaw detaches, it Skull of Doom,” stating in his customar- So far as is known, F.A. Mitchell- weighs 11 pounds 7 ounces. It allegedly ily glib fashion: “It is at least 3,600 years Hedges—a habitual liar and faker first came to light in 1927 (or 1926 or old and according to legend was used by (Nickell 1988, 38; McConnell 1998)— 1924) during the excavation of a lost the High Priest of the Maya when per- made no reference to the skull at the Mayan citadel in Belize (then British forming esoteric rites. It is said that when time of his return from Lubaantun or in Honduras). The adventurer F.A. he willed death with the help of the skull, the years immediately following. In the Mitchell-Hedges participated in the death invariably followed.” Of the skull’s 1930s he wrote newspaper articles and a provenance, Mitchell-Hedges said only book that discussed Lubaantun at Joe Nickell is CSICOP’s Senior Research that “How it came into my possession I length, but omitted the “Skull of Doom” Fellow. His Web site is www.joenickell.com. have reason for not revealing.” As if that in favor of relatively humble figurines.

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Evidence Uncovered Hedges. Might not such a person have “the result of intense concentration In fact, as we discovered, the earliest threatened to expose the deceiver? and meditation.” published reference to the celebrated We had hoped to conduct an exami- Less in touch with reality is the skull—the July 1936 issue of Man (a nation of the skull in anticipation of approach of one Joshua Shapiro, who, British anthropological journal)— learning more about its origins, and we with others, has had channeling ses- makes no reference to the adventurer. had contacted various experts—includ- sions to seek psychic impressions from Instead the skull was described as “in ing famed microanalyst Walter C. the crystal artifact. These led him to the possession of Mr. Sydney McCrone—about additional analyses opine that it was an “ancient com- Burney,” a London art dealer (Morant that might be performed. Disappoint- puter” storing messages for humanity. 1936, 105). ingly, however, Anna Mitchell-Hedges Instead of a Mayan origin, he posits Moreover, there is documentary evi- (1973) refused. Nevertheless, we learned that the skull could be from a lost civi- dence that Mitchell-Hedges bought the that, contrary to assertions that the skull lization or even some extraterrestrial skull in 1944 from Burney, who was said lacked any evidence of modern work- site (Hunter 2005). to have owned it for the preceding ten manship, there were “traces of mechani- Closer to earth, at age ninety-eight years (Morrill 1972, 28; Welfare and cal grinding” on the teeth (Dorland Anna Mitchell-Hedges told reporter Fairley 1980, 53). Anna Mitchell- 1973) and holes, intended for support Colin Hunter (2005) that the skull was Hedges has attempted to rationalize this pegs, that were drilled by metal the secret to her longevity. Hunter had damning evidence by claiming—in a (Hammond 1983). made a pilgrimage to visit her at a letter to me—that her father had left the friend’s home in Indiana. She stuck to Further Claims skull with Burney “as security for a loan her story about having found the skull to finance an expedition” (Mitchell- There remained many fanciful asser- at Lubaantun, although continuing to Hedges 1983). tions about the skull. In his autobiog- give conflicting versions of the facts. Asked if she had any record—such as raphy, F.A. Mitchell-Hedges (1954) Hunter’s investigative report reviewed a letter or newspaper clipping—that described the “Skull of Doom” as my findings and essentially substanti- might help establish her father’s prior “dating back at least 3,600 years, and ated and augmented them. ownership of the skull, Anna Mitchell- taking about 150 years to rub down As to the true origin of the Mitchell- Hedges (1983) replied that she had “no with sand”; the rock crystal, he exag- Hedges crystal skull, there is little evi- documentary evidence” but added, “all gerated, was “nearly as hard as dia- dence beyond the object itself, the mea- my father’s papers were lost in Hatteras mond.” He said further of the skull: ger historical record, and some similar during a cyclone—photographs and “It is stated in legend that it was used rock crystal skulls in museums and pri- all—also a trunk of his belongings was by a high priest of the Maya to con- vate collections. lost in Plymouth.” Be that as it may, centrate on and will death. It is said Additional Skulls none of those who were actually at to be the embodiment of all evil; sev- Lubaantun ever mentioned Anna being eral people who have cynically Various other crystal skulls exist, ranging at the site or the skull being discovered laughed at it have died, others have from as small as an inch in width to a there (Nickell 1988, 35–36). been stricken and become seriously half-life-sized one in the Musée de Subsequently, a letter surfaced that ill.” Or so “it is said.” Richard M. l’Homme (Museum of Man) in Paris further discredits Anna Mitchell- Garvin, author of The Crystal Skull and other life-sized examples, notably Hedges’s claim that she discovered the (1973, 100), concluded: “. . .the one in the British Museum. They are crystal skull at Lubaantun. Written by claims that the crystal skull has generally classified as Aztec, but there are Sydney Burney to George Vaillant of the caused or can cause death should doubts that any of them are pre- American Museum of Natural History, most likely be filed right next to the Colombian, according to Gordon F. it makes clear that Burney had the skull curses of old King Tut.” Ekholm (1983), an anthropologist from at that time (March 21, 1933), and that Other claims about the skull also the American Museum of Natural he had indeed “bought it” from an un- failed to survive scrutiny. One was that History. named collector (Burney 1933). it remained at a constant temperature of At least one, the British Museum Clearly F.A. Mitchell-Hedges’s crystal 70° Fahrenheit regardless of the temper- skull, has recently been scientifically skull did not come from Lubaantun, but ature it was subjected to. In fact, the examined. Although fashioned in a sin- he acquired it later from Burney. This skull was no different in its physical gle piece and having more stylized, cir- might explain why references to the properties from other natural quartz cular eye sockets than the Mitchell- skull were deleted from subsequent edi- crystals, according to California art Hedges skull, it nevertheless looks tions of Danger My Ally. No doubt in expert Frank Dorland (1983). remarkably like it (Nickell 1988). 1954 (some three years after Sydney Mystical properties of the skull— Ian Freestone, former head of the Burney’s death) there were persons who perceived sounds of silver bells and museum’s scientific research and now a could recall Burney’s prior ownership of images such as faces—are probably professor at the University of Wales, led the skull and its sale to Mitchell- only what Garvin (1973, 100) terms a museum team that conducted the

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examination. The scientists used dental atively inspired. They feel healing . . .” sonalities, and transporting them to a resin to obtain casts of the skull’s sur- (Max 2005). mystical realm from which they return face, then studied them with a scanning with addled senses. It seems likely that electron microscope. According to pro- Toward a Solution further revelations about the crystal skulls fessor Freestone: “It does appear that in Interestingly, Jane Walsh, an archivist at will best come, not from channeling ses- some areas of the skull they have used a the Smithsonian Institution, has uncov- sions, but from science and scholarship. rotary tool, and as far as we know that ered documents showing that at least sort of technique was only introduced two of the crystal skulls were sold by the Acknowledgments after the Europeans came to the same man, a French collector of pre- The portion of this article regarding the Americas, so it’s post-Columbus.” He Columbian artifacts named Eugene Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull is largely abridged from my book Secrets of the also observed that the type of rock crys- Boban. The British Museum purchased Supernatural (Nickell 1988). Also, once tal used has never been found in its skull in 1897 from Tiffany’s, the New again I am indebted to Timothy Binga, Mexico, the domain of the Aztecs. York jeweler, which in turn had bought Director of the Center for Inquiry Libraries, The evidence led Freestone to con- it from Boban. (Boban had earlier at- and Vaughn Rees for research assistance. clude that the skull was likely a fake, tempted to sell it to the Smithsonian.) References apparently fashioned from a lump of And the skull at the Musée de l’Homme Burney, Sydney. 1933. Letter to George Vaillant, rather poor quality Brazilian crystal. in Paris was donated by a collector who March 21; copy from Gordon F. Ekholm, The great gem’s cutting and polishing likewise purchased it from Boban American Museum of Natural History. was probably done by a lapidary in (Connor 2005). Connor, Steve. 2005. The mystery of the British Museum’s crystal skull is solved. It’s a fake. nineteenth-century Europe, perhaps From what we know, it is conceivable Independent News (UK), January 7. Germany, who used a rotating wheel that the Mitchell-Hedges skull was also Dorland, Frank. 1973. Quoted in Garvin 1973, like those common to the jewelry sold by Boban. Putting aside the dis- 84. ———. 1983. Letter to Joe Nickell, May 20. houses of that place and time (Pennink credited claim that it was discovered at Ekholm, Gordon F. 1983. Letters to Joe Nickell, 2005; Connor 2005). Lubaantun, the skull’s provenance traces January 5; February 1. In recent years, yet another skull— back to Sydney Burney who owned it as Garvin, Richard M. 1973. The Crystal Skull. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. dubbed “Max,” the Texas Crystal early as 1933. He wrote that it was “for Hammond, Norman. 1983. Letter to Joe Nickell, Skull—has surfaced. It is billed as the several years in the possession of the col- May 27. “largest ancient crystal skull,” and is lector from whom I bought it and he in Hunter, Colin. 2005. Caretaker to a mystery. Kitchener, Ontario, Record, August 20. reputed to be up to 36,000 years old. his turn had it from an Englishman in Kunz, George Frederick. [1913] 1971. The However, despite the allegation that it whose collection it had been also for sev- Curious Lore of Precious Stones; reprinted New was “found in a tomb in Guatemala eral years” (Burney 1933). But where York: Dover. Max, the crystal skull. 2001. Ad for an “Evening between 1924 and 1926” (“Max” did the English collector get it? Circle with JoAnn Parks,” The Learning Light 2005), there appears to be no docu- A possible source for many of the (The Learning Light Foundation newsletter, mentation of that claim. Rather, the crystal skulls was the renowned gem- Anaheim, California) 7:11 (December), 3. Max: The Texas crystal skull. 2005. Online at skull’s owner, a JoAnn Parks of stone center of Idar and Oberstein in www.v-j-enterprises.com/maxcs.html; Houston, reportedly received the skull Germany. The area underwent a resur- accessed December 22. from one Norbu Chen, a “Tibetan gence in the 1870s with the shipment of McConnell, Rob. [1996]. The Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull. Online at www.crystallinks.com/ Healer” whom she met in 1973. quartz crystals from Brazil. Those were crystalskulls.html, accessed January 3, 2005. Before his death he gave her and her carved into various objects—including Mitchell-Hedges, Anna. 1983. Letters to Joe Nickell, March 1 and April 25. husband the artifact which they kept “even a few crystal skulls”—by the Mitchell-Hedges, F.A. 1954. Danger My Ally. in a closet from 1980 to June 1987, region’s skilled artisans. (See Max 2005, London: Elek Books, 240–243; caption to while “Max” talked to her in her which displays a modern example; see illus. facing p. 241. Morant, G.M. 1936. A morphological compari- dreams. Then, seeing a television pro- also Kunz 1913, 54.) son of two crystal skulls. Man 36 (July), gram on UFOs that featured the New Agers assert that, according to 105–107. Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull, they “prophecy,” one day thirteen authentic Morrill, Sibley S. 1972. Ambrose Bierce, F.A. Mitchell-Hedges and the Crystal Skull. San began to publicize Max. ancient crystal skulls—all reputedly Francisco: Caledon Press. According to Parks, Max says he from Mexico or Central America—will Nickell, Joe. 1988. Gem of death, chapter 3 of comes both “from Pleiades” (a group of be brought together and, by uniting Secrets of the Supernatural. Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 29–46. stars in the constellation Taurus) and people of all races, will heal the earth Pennink, Emily. 2005. ‘Aztec’ crystal skull ‘likely “Atlantis” (the mythical continent). (Max 2001; Smoker 1995). Yet none of to be fake.’ Online at http://icwales.icnetwork. Parks adds: “He is a gift to mankind. the famous skulls appears to be pre- co.uk/printable_version.cfm?objectid= 15050983&siteid=50082; accessed January 7. He’s here as a teacher, and as a tool, to Columbian, and all may, in fact, be Smoker, Debbie. 1995. Max, the crystal skull. bring people together as a Oneness.... European forgeries. New Avenues, June/July; reprinted at Max He seems to open up an energy in the The chief power of the skulls seems to 2005. Welfare, Simon, and John Fairley. 1980. Arthur C. mind. . . . People pick up visions of the be that of attracting the credulous, Clarke’s Mysterious World. New York: A&W past, of other planets and some are cre- including some with fantasy-prone per- Publishers. !

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