304 reactions · 57 shares | Skull anatomy: cranium bones in 3DDive...

In 1898, a flawless human skull carved from a single piece of quartz arrived at the British Museum, believed to have been crafted in Mesoamerica. Its perfect craftsmanship and rumours of supernatural powers sparked fascination and debate. Skulls were common in Mesoamerican art and rituals, symbolising rebirth and the continuity of life, yet crystal skulls are extraordinarily rare, with only around a dozen ever discovered worldwide. Scattered across museums and private collections, these artefact

“This is a human existence that has been transformed into a work of art... The idea that this skull mask could be attached to the body, looking behind you as you move forward as a priest or a warrior.” Sculptor Antony Gormley describes this 550-year-old “power object... that talks about the overcoming of death.”: a human skull decorated in a mosaic of dazzling turquoise, black lignite, and red oyster shell - precious materials paid in tribute by the territories of the Aztec Empire to its powerfu