via LiveScience
Crystal skulls are wonders to behold, but their only power may be to fascinate.
CREDIT: Victor Habbick | Shutterstock
Crystal skulls are among the strangest and most mysterious artifacts in the world. They have been displayed in the finest museums; they have inspired books, films, legends and liquor. According to some they even have supernatural power.
Skulls are, of course, made of minerals; bone is mostly calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Skulls are at once both mundane and macabre, symbolic reminders of both healing medicine and death. Of all the materials that a skull might be made of, crystal is perhaps the most intriguing. Crystals are central to New Age beliefs, and New Agers have constructed an intricate belief system around them involving auras, reincarnation, chakras, healing, vibrations, and so on.
There are many skulls in the world carved out of quartz, of varying sizes and designs (New Age shops around the world are well-stocked), though not all of them are steeped in myth and romance. There are only a handful of the largest, life-size skulls in existence, and they have inspired awe for generations. They are said to be hundreds or thousands of years old, and possibly of Mayan, Aztec, or even Atlantean origin. The skulls are indeed a sight to behold. 
Beyond the artistry of carved crystal, many believe the skulls have special abilities, such as aiding psychic abilities, healing the sick, and even having power over death.
Crystal skulls have captured the imagination of countless New Agers, curiosity seekers, and others; screenwriter George Lucas was so intrigued by crystal skulls he wrote a script about them: the 2008 film “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls.” A Canadian company called Crystal Head Vodka (co-founded by actor and paranormal buff Dan Aykroyd) launched in 2008, bottling its crystal-filtered libation in novelty glass skulls.
The most famous crystal skull is the so-called Skull of Doom, a human-like skull composed of two pieces and made from clear crystal quartz.
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Nice. In a mild synchronicity, I just took a pretty decent picture of one of the skulls — the one in the British Museum collection. You can see it here.
You took that yourself? That’s a great shot. How big is it in real life? It looks to be life size.
Thanks. All the photos on my blog I took myself. It is, indeed, about life size. I don’t think they usually have it out on display, but this was part of special exhibit on artistic representations of death.
Do you know any of the history behind the skull? How old is it? What is it made of? For some reason i would buy one of these just to creep out visitors to my home.
This British Museum version was bought in the late nineteenth century (1897?) from Tiffany & Co. It was assumed it was a fairly old Mexican artifact, but actually turned out to be a more recent fake. There are a bunch of them floating around now, I think. One of the most interesting versions was produced by Damien Hirst a few years ago. See here.
I may go look for a crystal skull to purchase. It will creep out all the conspiracists in my life.
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