Except, not a single crystal skull came from an archaeological dig. More damningly still, they bore tell-tale signs of contemporary jewellery-making tools, meaning they most likely originated in European workshops and were sold as fake artefacts by dealers, most notably the Frenchman Eugène Boban. The Mitchell-Hedges skull, for example, was bought at a Sotheby’s auction.

Yet fascination in them remained undiminished to the point where they have been associated with supernatural powers, as explored in the Indiana Jones movie The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

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Now discover the most incredible archaeological finds in European history

Incredible archaeological discoveries that turned out to be fakes