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Indiana Jones

Hoax Travel: Indiana Jones' Quest for Naught, Crystal Skulls Are Fake

July 9, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 0 Comments

They don't have mythical powers either: Six weeks after the release of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," three real-life crystal skulls were debunked by museum experts as modern hoaxes, not Mesoamerican miracles.

Paris' Quai Branly Museum was the first to declare its crystal skull a fake, but the Smithsonian and the British Museum were also taken in by the artifacts, which were claimed to be part of a set of 12 that combined would prevent a Mayan doomsday in 2012. But under a microscope the skulls all bore traces of modern adhesives and tracks from drills and rotary wheels, none of which Central American cultures would have used.

The Smithsonian and British Museum skulls were purchased from the same shady Mexico City-based dealer around 1880. Of course, if you've seen "Indy 4," you know where the crystal skulls really come from... but we won't spoil the (ridiculous) source for you.

Related Stories:
· Crystal Skulls in British, American Museums Were Fakes [AFP, via Yahoo]
· Movie Set Travel: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [Jaunted]
· Museum coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: MTV Movies Blog]