The Mystery and Magic of the Belize Crystal Skull

June 15, 2024
by belizehubstaff +

Anyone who has ever heard of the film “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is at least aware that crystal skulls are a thing that exists. These objects have fascinated people for decades and one of them was allegedly found within Belize’s Lubaantun ruins.

Crystal Skulls

The common consensus is that these objects began as some variety of quartz, then carved and chiseled into a skull shape. Any claims beyond that, like granting their owner psychic powers, varies with who you consult.

The first theory is that these skulls came from Central America’s indigenous civilizations. Most of these skulls are connected to the Aztecs, or, like Lubaantun’s, the Maya, and are said to possess mystical abilities. Another interpretation is that they are paranormal relics from an extant intelligence species which died off as humanity evolved. Similarly, some believe that these skulls belonged to ancient alien visitors.

The Reality

None of these supernatural attachments are true. The various crystal skulls only start appearing in the latter 1800s, often shown off in Europe’s various museums before being bought by collectors. Only recently have we had the tech to really investigate these skulls.

For starters, we now know that jeweler’s equipment, a 19th Century invention, was used to carve the skulls and their specific variety of quartz was local to Madagascar and Brazil. While people claimed that these skulls were unearthed during archaeological digs, those were merely claims-not the truth.

Lubaantun’s Skull

Lubaantun is an hour’s drive from Punta Gorda, in southern Belize. While a known tourist spot, it is never densely crowded. While Lubaantun is an old city covering a broad area, you can quickly walk from one end to the other, passing by ruined buildings and steps. Exploring the whole area easily consumes over an hour.

Advertisment

Anna Mitchell-Hedges claimed she discovered Lubaantun’s skull under a collapsed temple altar in 1924, as a child while her adopted father worked the excavation. She didn’t mention it until much later, inspiring much theory and interest. Put simply, no one working on the Lubaantun excavation mentioned a crystal skull nor was Anna in the country then. We do know that the skull was owned by several parties before Mitchell-Hedges acquired it in the ’40s. Scientific tests have revealed it was made with recent tech.

What About Lubaantun?

The Maya lived within Lubaantun between 700 and 900 CE. Its massive pyramids and other structures were arranged without mortar. You can still see a ceremonial ballcourt where losers were sacrificed. The site also features elevated platforms for the upper class and public squares for addressing crowds. Most believe that Lubaantun was a center of ceramics and cacao, likely serving as a regional capital.

Outside of Lubaantun, other Belizean Maya locales worth seeing are Xunantunich, Caracol, and Lamanai. Even if the mystery of the crystal skulls has been largely debunked, these ancient sites are loaded with fascination and mystery.