The British Museum's Crystal Skull

Crystal skulls have been the subject of curiosity and debate for decades. Are they ancient artifacts, modern hoaxes, or maybe even mystical conduits? A few of these enigmatic objects are held by major museums, while others are in private collections. During a visit to the British Museum in London, I made it a point to view the skull they have on display. Whatever its origins, it’s certainly striking.

Some believe that crystal skulls possess supernatural qualities. Mysterious energy, healing abilities, and psychic experiences have all been attributed to the skulls. Perhaps one of the most popular beliefs is that the crystals skulls record the events around them, thus serving as mystical stores of history. This has linked them to wider concepts of extraterrestrials and Atlantis.

The British Museum’s life-size crystal skull is carved from a single piece of colorless quartz, also known as rock crystal. It was originally believed to have been crafted by Aztecs in ancient Mexico. The assertion being that a Spanish officer brought the skull over from Mexico prior to 1863. It ended up finding its way to New York’s Tiffany and Co., which then sold it to the British Museum in 1897.

As time went on, the ancient origins of the skull were called into question. In 1996, analysis was done on the artifact. Binocular and electron microscopes revealed that the tool marks visible on the skull were quite different from those seen on well-established, carved objects of the period. It appeared that the instruments used to create this crystal skull would not have been available in ancient Mexico. Additionally, the quartz itself would not have been found on the Mexican trade routes of the time. Ultimately, the British Museum believes that its crystal skull is likely of nineteenth century, European origin.

Currently, the crystal skull can be found in the British Museum’s Wellcome Trust Gallery. After walking in via the Main Entrance of the museum, continue straight through the Great Court into the gallery (Room 24). The skull’s case should be on your left, against the wall. Although it appears that the British Museum’s skull is not pre-Columbian, it still has a mysterious allure that keeps people interested.