Nineteen years after Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones is back in the highly anticipated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in theaters now. Trademark fedora intact, Harrison Ford once again toplines as the adventurous archaeologist, this time on the hunt for the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary skull believed to hold the power of world domination for whoever can unlock its secrets. In the real world, Indy's altar ego may well be Dr. Jane MacLaren Walsh, an anthropologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, whose research focus is—yes!—crystal skulls. The objects have attracted a growing legion of fans over the years—from New Age devotees to psychics—who say the skulls have supernatural healing powers. But Walsh's work has shown that no crystal skull has ever been excavated from a documented archaeological site. Still, despite their inauthenticity, skulls of all sizes, usually made from rock crystal, have been displayed as ancient artifacts in museums and private collections worldwide.
Everyone wants to talk to Walsh these days, given her real-life connection to a major summer blockbuster (The Times of London and Der Spiegel are two of her recent suitors). But The Advocate had a special reason to talk: Walsh is gay, and has lived with her partner for more than two decades in Washington, D.C. From her office there, she recently spoke to Michael Gardner about her passion for those crazy crystal artifacts and, of course, everything Indy.
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