Fake "Aztec" crystal skulls

I'm not sure if this is really fresh info; European fakers turned out quite a few "Aztec" crystal skulls in the 19th century:

A CRYSTAL skull revered by New Age followers for its perceived ancient mystical powers is likely to be a fake, an academic said yesterday.

The almost life-sized skull, which was sold to London's British Museum in 1897, was thought to have been a relic from the Aztec civilisation in Mexico.

However, research by a Welsh professor has added weight to the theory that it was probably made in 19th-century Europe from a lump of poor quality Brazilian crystal.

Professor Ian Freestone, of Cardiff University, examined the skull and now believes it was cut and polished with a wheeled instrument. The Aztecs never used the wheel. Furthermore, the type of crystal used is common in Brazil but has never been found in Mexico.

UPDATE: A nice article that fills out the picture a bit more in the March 29th Washington Post, profiling the work of Smithsonian anthropologist Jane MacLaren Walsh.

Posted by David on January 8, 2005 2:33 PM