Lore of the crystal skulls

Who's That Skull?

Ancient Secrets Of Indy's ReturnTHE Mayans, whose Central American empire crumbled over 1000 years ago, are said to have found the 13 skulls, which gave them vast and strange powers.

THE skulls had moving jaws and could talk and sing. But they were lost when Mayan civilisation collapsed. Some are thought to be under the sea and others in private collections.Lots of fakes:HUNDREDS of fake skulls were produced by antiques traders in the 19th century in an attempt to cash in on the Mayan legend. Most of the replicas are given away by the tiny marks left by cutting tools which were unavailable to the ancient Mayans.

A CRYSTAL skull of Aztec origin is kept in the British Museum. It was bought from Tiffany's in New York after being looted from an ancient site in Mexico.Real skull still used:THE last Mayan tribe remaining outside Western influence in the Mexican rainforest, the Lacandon, believe the skulls have control over natural forces and can project visions

A CRYSTAL skull is still used in special ceremonies by Lacandon priests who believe it can help ward off sickness and halt the deforestation of their land.What it all means:SCIENTISTS believe some of the skulls are as much as 36,000 years old and one theory on the origin of the 13 is that they were crafted in a long-dead civilisation as advanced as our own, much like the mythical Atlantis.

ACCORDING to an ancient Mayan legend, the world will end at midnight on December 21, 2012, unless the wisdom of the combined skulls is heeded.