Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to bring the eponymous adventurer's film franchise to an exciting end when it hits theaters on June 30th. In the film, Harrison Ford's iconic character searches for the mysterious Dial of Destiny, which acts as the final artifact in a long list of historical prizes Indy has uncovered over the years.
Over the course of his first four movies, Indiana Jones has gone to extreme lengths to find a great number of historical artifacts. Some of these relics carry tremendous significance in the real world, connecting the Indiana Jonesfranchise to true history.
7 The Golden Idol
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Raiders of the Lost Ark's opening scene is iconic. The sequence follows Indiana Jones as he navigates an ancient temple in South America. There, he discovers a priceless golden idol, which nearly costs him his life to obtain. Unfortunately for Indy, Rene Belloq and his squadron of Nazis take the idol.
Although Raiders of the Lost Ark's golden idol does not have any real-world counterpart, it does resemble Aztec idols fashioned after Tlazoleteol, a goddess representing the Earth, childbirth, and several other important facets of life (via The Guardian). The golden idol in Indiana Jones is also captured by Nazis, a direct reference to the real-world phenomenon where the fascist group seized ancient artifacts and pieces of art for themselves in the years leading up to and during World War II.
6 The Staff Of Ra
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark sees its eponymous character travel to Egypt to uncover further secrets leading to the Ark of the Covenant. With his friend Sallah, Indy breaks into an excavation chamber to discover a relic known as the Staff of Ra, which he uses to find the next clue on his globetrotting treasure hunt.
The Staff of Ra is not a real-world relic. However, the item does make reference to the sun god Ra, who was one of the most important deities in ancient Egyptian mythology. Ra was not only the god of the sun but also the basis for many of the other gods that would develop later in Egyptian history. Egyptian pharaohs would even later be branded as the Earthly mouthpieces for Ra himself (via World History Encyclopedia).
5 The Ark Of The Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant is the grand prize at the end of Indiana Jones's adventure in his first outing. Indy eventually discovers the Ark but is unable to keep it from falling into the Nazis' hands. However, once the villainous army opens the ancient ark, the spirits inside emerge and melt the faces of anyone who looks within the sacred relic.
The Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of God's relationship with Ancient Israel, containing His Ten Commandments, the staff of the High Priest Aaron, and a jar of the manna bread that the people had eaten in the desert. The ark was fashioned during the Book of Exodus and, though the Biblical version of the relic does not include face-melting spirits, there were several instances where God struck down and killed those who touched the ark without His permission (via World History Encyclopedia).
4 The Sankara Stones
For many viewers, Temple of Doom was a disappointment. Part of the reason that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom didn't quite land with audiences was its somewhat unmemorable prize: the Sankara Stones. In the film, Indy comes across Mola Ram, a man intent on gathering all five Sankara Stones. He believes the will grant him the power to conquer the world.
The Sankara Stones do not exist in the real world, but they were based on the very real Sivalinga, or "Shiva lingas," which were symbols of the Hindu god Shiva. Some Hindu beliefs do maintain that Shiva poured his magical abilities into five of these stones, as Temple of Doom portrays. However, over time, the Sivalinga's meaning has been changed to merely symbolize Shiva. The stones have often been used to adorn jewelry (via Empire).
3 Coronado's Crucifix
In the opening sequence of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, audiences meet some villains: Panama Hat and his crew of robbers. The thieves manage to steal a crucifix that once belonged to Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, and they get away before a young Indiana Jones can stop them. Several decades later, however, Indy manages to recover the stolen item from the same band of thieves.
The Last Crusade's first relic is a reference to the real-life Spanish conquistador, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. Seeking treasure in the New World, Coronado was responsible for Europe's discovery of much of the North American Midwest, including the Grand Canyon (via Encyclopedia Brittanica). This would explain how Coronado's crucifix would have ended up in a cave in Utah, having been left behind on one of the conquistador's many missions.
2 The Holy Grail
The third Indiana Jones movie features a treasure hunt for the Holy Grail as Indy and his father desperately seek to uncover the relic before the Nazis do. After escaping death on numerous occasions and being betrayed twice, Indy finally discovers the long-sought Holy Grail. He learns that the artifact grants its drinker eternal life--but at the price of their freedom.
The Holy Grail is a legend spawned during the European crusades, referring to the cup that Jesus Christ used during the Last Supper with His apostles (via World History Encyclopedia). While none of the Gospel accounts make any special mention of the cup that Christ used during the Last Supper, the Holy Grail has become a common MacGuffin for adventure films, especially those about the Crusades.
1 The Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the lackluster fourth entry in the adventure franchise. As its title suggests, it attempts to uncover the mystery of the crystal skulls. In the film, Indy and his band of adventurers discover that the mysterious crystal skull in their possession actually belongs to a race of interdimensional beings. Upon returning the skull to its resting place, Indy and his friends watch as the beings return to life and leave Earth in a flying saucer.
Indiana Jones's crystal skull references the real-world artifacts that have emerged over the last century. Sporting a similar design, these crystal skulls have been discovered primarily in South America. Many theories regarding the origins of these skulls have been posited, ranging from logical historical quandaries to the utterly bizarre. However, most studies of these skulls suggest that they date back no further than the 19th century and were likely originally crafted in Europe (via National Geographic).