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18th Century German Crystal Skull Carvings
There is much
controversy concerning the dating of the Crystal Skulls. Are they
Pre-Colombian, modern or made in Germany? The issue seems to be centered
on polishing marks on the hard quartz crystal. I found an excellent
article that explains it well: This is from the Phillip Coppens web
site: http://www.philipcoppens.com/mitchellhedges.html
"As to the fact
that
the skulls were polished with a wheeled instrument,
Professor Freestone himself argued that this in itself
does not
mean they are modern fabrications (he examined the Paris
as well
as the London skull in 2004). Though Freestone, Walsh
and others
suggested this overturns the likelihood that the skulls
are pre-Columbian,
other experts like Professor Michael D. Coe of Yale
University
stated that evidence of wheel markings in no way proves
that the
skulls are modern. He actually said that although it has
long
been accepted that no pre-Columbian civilisation used
the rotary
wheel, new evidence contradicts this scientific dogma.
Wafer-thin
obsidian ear-spools are now known to have been made
using some
rotary carving equipment and to be dated to the
Aztec/Mixtec period.
According to Chris Morton and Ceri Louise Thomas in The
Mystery
of the Crystal Skulls, Coe concluded (p. 226): "People
who
sit in scientific laboratories don't know the full range
of the
culture they're dealing with. We really don't know half
as much
about these early cultures as we think we do. People
need to re-examine
their beliefs."
Walsh and some of her colleagues have largely presented
Boban
as a charlatan, but they've failed to report that Boban
was known
to have owned genuinely ancient artefacts as well as a
collection
of rare books and early Mexican manuscripts. He had even
written
a scientific study, "Documents pour server à l'histoire
du Mexique" ("Documents to serve the history of Mexico")
(1891). Furthermore, he personally crusaded against
frauds and
fakes, such as in 1881 when he spoke out against
forgeries that
were being made in the suburbs of Mexico City. Would he
shoot
himself in the foot that same year by listing a
fraudulent crystal
skull in his catalogue?
Mentions of the German connection and claims of Boban's
dishonesty
come from a single letter from one of Boban's
competitors, Wilson
Wilberforce Blake. He wrote how they should buy from
him, not
Boban, who was "not honest", and he made accusations
that the skull Boban had sold was a forgery, insinuating
that
the skull had been made in Germany instead. However, no
evidence
was ever produced for any of these claims, and it is
clear that
Blake had an obvious motive as to why he wanted to smear
Boban's
character: he was specifically after Boban's share of
the market.
In short, Walsh has uncovered good indications that
Boban had
skulls and sold them; but as to a German connection, she
has relied
on the words of a man who almost openly stated that he
was out
to smudge Boban's ethics. As such, the story of how the
crystal
skulls have been treated by academics has – alas –
all the usual hallmarks of how the scientific
establishment treats
such anomalous finds and pushes them aside, labeling
them fakes.
And aficionados of the genre will know that involvement
of the
Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum in such a
controversy
is not a unique event."
Idar-Oberstein Germany
crystal skull carving story
Taken from Wikipedia:
History of Idar Oberstein
as Gem Center
Idar-Oberstein is currently best known as a gemstone
center; until the 18th century the area was a source for agate and jasper.
In combination with cheap labor and with cheap energy resources a true
gemstone working industry flourished. The river Nahe provided free water
power for the mills that powered the cutting and polishing machines.
When resources dried up, the area's industry came into decline until a
way was found to provide new material to Idar. This occurred in the 19th
century when large amounts of Agates were found in Brazil, and German
traders were able to ship the Agate nodules back as "ballast" on empty
vessels that had dropped off cargo in Brazil. The cheap Agates were
transported to Idar-Oberstein and a new way to create an industry was
formed. In combination with their technological knowledge of chemical
dyes the industry became bigger than ever at the turn of the 20th
century.
The story is in
the middle of the 18th century they were given a large quantity of pure
rock quartz and challenged to carve crystal skulls, supposedly with
removable jaws. No records were kept, no carvers name were ever given!
They had Agate and Jasper available, it was cheap. The even used water
for polishing wheels! No mention of rock quartz or crystal skulls.
So on
it goes, no one really knows. Compassion was in a warehouse in Africa 22
years, 3 years in a antique import shop and then 2 years on a back
shelf prior to her finding me with no previous history. This leaves it
up to subjective experience when in the presence of a well defined
quartz crystal skulls. The market is being flooded with skulls of all
kinds many with, "it's been said," stories of some ancient connections
that were created by owners, it seems to market objects that have been
in the presence of these unverified skulls. I personally feel this flies
in the face of the intent of the Crystal Skulls, ancient or even old.
I was taught they were to to increase our
consciousness to the higher dimensions. To get away from the
materialist fight for greed, wealth and power. Am I naive? "I feel a skull is what a skull
does." Paperweight or ancient computer? Healing tool or bringer of
wisdom, a corner stone of the new Awakening? Are we listening?
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