The Man Who Invented Aztec Crystal Skulls
Author | : Jane MacLaren Walsh |
Publisher | : Berghahn Books |
Total Pages | : 330 |
Release | : 2018-11-29 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781789200966 |
ISBN-13 | : 1789200962 |
Rating | : 4/5 (66 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Eugène Boban began life in humble circumstances in Paris, traveled to the California Gold Rush, and later became a recognized authority on pre-Columbian cultures. He also invented an entire category of archaeological artifact: the Aztec crystal skull. By his own admission, he successfully “palmed off” a number of these crystal skulls on the curators of Europe’s leading museums. How could that happen, and who was this man? Detailed are the travels, self-education, and archaeological explorations of Eugène Boban; this book also explores the circumstances that allowed him to sell fakes to museums that would remain undetected for over a century.