00:00.91
archpodnet
Welcome back to the pseudo archeology podcast episode 97 the crystal skull of Belize. So so far we've talked about the backstory of the crystal skull and. Some more intricate aspects of the history of it and why we still hear about it today. So with this last segment I just want to talk about what I want out of this. What is Dr Andrew can Kella want out of this to feel satisfied. Well before I get to that I have to tell you guys that there's actually even more to the story. We have to remember that in 2008 a little movie came out called Indiana Jones in the kingdom of the crystal skull remember that one. I do I like to think of it as the day my inner child died. But yeah, it comes out and it centers around this kind of crystal skull mythology right? which in terms of a hollywood movie I have no problem with it. You know I have no problem with. An Indiana Jones movie using the crystal skull I just I wish the movie was a little better but I have no problem with with the backstory. That's fine. That's what Indiana Jones is for right? I only have a problem with this stuff when it's on the history channel quite different. But so the movie comes out. And you could argue that um the movie company is making money off of the crystal skull right? The Mitchell and the Mitchell Hedges skull is really the the one with the with the deepest story. Of all the crystal skulls right? it's the it's the best None and you could argue that according to Anna's original story that the crystal skull was stolen from Belize in the 1920 s so in 2012 ah, the government of Belize sues the Mitchell Hedges estate basically so they can get the crystal skull back right? and they say look you're using this stolen artifact from Belize in order to to profit and that's not right because. We demand. What's ours back and that's true like if you're an archeologist even if you take artifacts out legally from the country which I have done. You sign an agreement with the country of Belize that you will bring them back in a year or two years or whatever it may be you make an agreement with the government because.

05:38.77
archpodnet
As it should be all artifacts from the country of Belize are the property of the country of Belize and its people. So if you're telling me that this crystal skull is from Belize. Well you stole it and we need it back now you get. Hilarity to all this when you look back at the story. The funny part is it's not from Belize It's a fake that's from London from 1943 but the fakers right? The Mitchell Hedges family would have to cop. Ah, they'd have to. Ah let me say that again. They'd have to cop to their lie. They'd have to go. Yeah, we bought it in 1943 at an auction in London. But they can't so they're caught in this web. It's hilarious and of course this suit is filed in the year twenty twelve when of course them it's said that the maya. Ah, predicted that it would be the end of the world which is yet another famous pseudo archeology story that I can't wait to deal with on a later podcast but to my best knowledge nothing ever really came of the ah lawsuit. And the mitchell hedges skull is I believe still with the family. So what do I want out of this here's what I want I want the mitchell hedges family to be forced to donate the skull to the country of Belize totally. No, it's not from Belize but the world thinks it is so I think they should give it back to Belize and then Belize should use the Mitchell Hedges skull as part of a big display in the Belize museum in Belize City Belize has it. Excellent archeology museum in Belize City it's actually in the old prison and you know the prison itself does have that vibe of like a caribbean prison from none you know it's kind of spooky in in and of itself. But it's an amazing place to visit. So I think they should they take the skull and they put it front row center as an example of famous fakes right? and they do have Belize has other fake artifacts because they confiscate these things at the border all the time there's people out there making fakes all the time because if they fake you out.

11:10.55
archpodnet
They can make a lot of money on your ignorance right? So Belize will find this stuff at the border like they'll confiscate it people crossing the border. They'll find it in their luggage. They'll find it on plane flights right? So in the in the back room of the museum there. There is a pile of fakes and right now they're just sitting there with nothing happening to them I've seen them I've seen the fakes back there and we have a laugh you know as archeologists say look at this some of them are silly and terrible and some of them are decently okay where yes if I look at it I can tell. But. Ah, normal person I don't think would be able to you really have to know your stuff. So I think they should have the crystal skull front row center. They take out all their other fakes to kind of put around it and have this amazing museum display on famous fakes. And then to me, it's the perfect end to the story of the Mitchell Hedges crystal skull where the dad the daughter and the husband can all be poster children of archeological fakery. And with that I'll see you guys next time.