Artefak tengkorak kristal 'palsu'

	Tengkorak kristal dari koleksi British Museum

Penelitian mengungkapkan dua tengkorak kristal yang diyakini karya peradaban kuno berasal dari masa yang lebih muda. Artefak itu merupakan benda-benda misterius yang dimunculkan dalam film terbaru Indiana Jones film. Namun, suatu penelitian ilmiah baru mengungkapkan kedua tengkorak kristal atau crystal skulls itu berasal dari zaman yang jauh lebih muda atau modern. Berikut laporan Paul Rincon:

Dengar ceritanya

When sculptures of human skulls made from translucent crystal began appearing in museums during the 19th Century they were presented as relics made by ancient American civilisations. But a new scientific analysis has shown that two of the most famous examples are fakes, crafted between the 19th and 20th Centuries to take advantage of a burgeoning antiquities market.

The skulls in question are held at the British Museum in London and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. But they were probably manufactured using modern tools and polishing methods never available to the Aztecs or Mayans.

Who made the fake skulls is still a mystery, but some suspect a 19th Century French antiquities dealer was behind the British artefact. Archaeologists say the work should end decades of speculation over the origins of these controversial objects. But the discovery could disappoint the many enthusiasts fascinated by the beauty and sophistication of these intriguing carvings.

Paul Rincon, BBC Science Reporter

Dengar kata-katanya

translucent
hampir jernih, tapi tidak sepenuhnya transparan bening

relics
objek atau benda menarik dari masa lalu

fakes
bukan asli, tapi salinan, palsu

crafted
dibuat

a burgeoning antiquities market
popularitas yang semakin kuat atas kegiatan membeli barang kuno

Aztecs or Mayans
peradaban kuno dari kawasan yang kini adalah Meksiko dan Meksiko selatan atau bagian utara Amerika Tengah

suspect
mencurigai, menengarai

was behind
bertanggungjawab atas

artefact
artefak, benda kuno yang memiliki arti sejarah penting

decades of speculation
adu argumentasi, diskusi dan dugaan-dugaan yang berlangsung puluhan tahun