Description
Stonehenge is a megalithic monument from the Late Stone Age, located near the town of Amesbury in the English county of Wiltshire and approximately 13 kilometers northwest of Salisbury on Salisbury Plain. The most recent dating for the construction of Stonehenge has been determined to be 2300 BC, 300 years later than previously assumed. The monument consists of an earthen embankment surrounding a circular arrangement of large, rudimentarily worked, standing stones and is one of the most famous prehistoric sites on Earth. Although the word 'henge' forms part of the name, it is not a true henge. The structure and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986, simultaneously with the Avebury Hengonument under the entry Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites. It is also an ancient structure protected by British government law. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown and managed by the English Heritage organization. The surrounding lands are owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest, commonly known in the United Kingdom as the National Trust.
The crystal skulls are works of art carved from quartz or rock crystal in the shape of human skulls. These surfaced in the second half of the nineteenth century and were originally attributed to various pre-Columbian civilizations. Research in the 1990s, using a scanning tunneling microscope among other methods, showed that at least a number of these skulls are forgeries. These were made using grinding tools that were not developed until the second half of the nineteenth century. There is a strong suspicion that a number of the crystal skulls were commissioned by the French merchant Eugène Boban and sold by him. One of the most famous skulls is the Mitchell-Hedges skull. This is said to have been found by the British adventurer F.A. Mitchell-Hedges in a chamber beneath the ruins of Lubaantun in Belize. It later emerged that he had purchased this skull privately at the London auction house Sotheby's. His wife gave as a reason that he had merely given the skull to someone as collateral and had bought it back through Sotheby's. After the death of Anna Mitchell-Hedges, the skull came into the possession of Bill Homann. In the 1990s, it turned out that the Mitchell-Hedges skull was also a fake. In the meantime, numerous hypes and legends have arisen surrounding the crystal skulls. Due to their supposed discovery site, they were allegedly manufactured centuries ago by the Mayans, the Aztecs, or an even older pre-Columbian civilization. They were also said to possess paranormal abilities, and one should never look them directly in the eyes. According to another legend, they have an extraterrestrial origin. Thirteen of them are said to be found on Earth. Once reunited, they would share their knowledge with humanity. Even today, the skulls still play a role in a part of the New Age community.
In fiction:
• In the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, all the above legends are combined.
• The Hidden Crystal, a book by Manda Scott, is about the crystal skulls and the Mayan 2012 phenomenon.
• In the 21st episode of season 3 of the science fiction series Stargate SG-1 from 2000 (Crystal Skull), Daniel Jackson disappears when he looks into a crystal skull.
•The Assassin's Creed series references the skulls, where they are ancient artifacts with mysterious powers.
Gemstone skulls. Gemstone skulls have been popular and mysterious for many cultures for decades. The skulls have a wide variety of meanings. Celtic skulls symbolize Time, Power, creation, initiation, and concentration. Celtic culture believes the skull is a seat of power and strength. Some texts refer to the skull as the seat of our soul. Archaeological discoveries teach us that the ancient Celts offered skulls to sacred sources. The skull is universally seen as a symbol of life and death. More recently, the skull has been linked to death and embracing our mortality. In times long past, the skull sometimes represented life. Skulls and skeletons are the symbol of the Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead. The skull and crossbones is a popular symbol for pirates and poison. Some healers use skulls to see visions of the present, past, and future. Other materials used include rose quartz, rock crystal, rhodonite, aventurine, and hematite.
