Archaeological forgery

Archaeological forgeryis the manufacture of supposedly ancient items that are sold to theantiquities marketand may even end up in the collections of museums. It is related toart forgery.

TheGosford Glyphs,a set of forgedEgyptian-style hieroglyphsin Australia

A string of archaeological forgeries have usually followed news of prominentarchaeological excavations.Historically, famous excavations like those inCrete,theValley of the KingsinEgyptandPompeiihave caused the appearance of a number of forgeries supposedly spirited away from the dig. Those have been usually presented in the open market but some have also ended up in museum collections and as objects of serious historical study.

In recent times, forgeries ofpre-Columbianpottery from South America have been very common. Other popular examples include Ancient Egyptianearthenwareand supposed ancientGreek cheese.There have also been paleontological forgeries like thearchaeoraptoror thePiltdown Manskull.

Motivations

Most archaeological forgeries are made for reasons similar to art forgeries – for financial gain. The monetary value of an item that is thought to be thousands of years old is higher than if the item were sold as a souvenir.

However, archaeological or paleontological forgers may have other motives; they may try to manufacture proof for their point of view or favorite theory (oragainsta point of view/theory they dislike), or to gain increased fame and prestige for themselves. If the intention is to create "proof" for religious history, it is consideredpious fraud.

Detection

Investigators of archaeological forgery rely on the tools ofarchaeologyin general. Since the age of the object is usually the most significant detail, they try to useradiocarbon datingorneutron activation analysisto find out the real age of the object.

Criticisms of antiquities trade

Somehistoriansand archaeologists have strongly criticized theantiquitiestrade for putting profit andart collectingbefore scientific accuracy and veracity. This, in effect, favours the archaeological forgery. Allegedly, some of the items in prominent museum collections are of dubious or at least of unknown origin. Looters who rob archaeologically important places and supply the antiquities market are rarely concerned with exact dating and placement of the items. Antiquities dealers may also embellish a genuine item to make it more saleable. Sometimes traders may even sell items that are attributed to nonexistent cultures.

As is the case with art forgery, scholars and experts don't always agree on the authenticity of particular finds. Sometimes an entire research topic of a scholar may be based on finds that are later suspected as forgeries.

Known archaeological forgers

The engravedKinderhook plates,buried and then excavated at a mound in Illinois in the United States

• Curzio Inghirami(1614—1655), 17th century Italian archaeologist and historian known as a forger ofEtruscanartifacts.
• Alceo Dossena(1878–1937), 19th century Italian creator of manyArchaicandMedievalstatues
• Shinichi Fujimura(b. 1950), Japanese amateur archeologist who planted specimens on false layers to gain more prestige
• Alois Anton Führer(1853-1930), German indologist who forged many inscriptions
• Shaun Greenhalgh(b. 1961), a prolific and versatile British forger, who, with the help of his family, forged Ancient Egyptian statues,Romansilverware andCeltic gold jewelryamong more modern artworks. Arrested in 2006 attempting to sell threeAssyrian reliefsto theBritish Museum.
• Brigido Lara(b. 1939-1940), Mexican forger ofpre-Columbian antiquities
• James Mellaart(1925–2012), Englisharchaeologistand author who is noted for his discovery of theNeolithicsettlement ofÇatalhöyükinTurkey.After his death, it was discovered that he had forged many of his "finds", includingmuralsand inscriptions used to discover the Çatalhöyük site.
• Edward Simpson(b. 1815,fl.1874),VictorianEnglish forger ofprehistoricflint tools.He sold forgeries to many British museums, including theYorkshire Museumand the British Museum
• Moses Wilhelm Shapira(1830–1884), Ukrainian purveyor of fakebiblical artifacts
• Tjerk Vermaning(1929–1986), Dutch amateur archaeologist whoseMiddle Paleolithicfinds were declared forgeries

Known archaeological forgeries and hoaxes

ThePiltdown Manskull, a famouspalaeoanthropologicalhoax

• Calaveras Skull( "discovered" 1866), purported to prove that humans lived in North America as early as thePlioceneEpoch (5.33–2.58MYA)
• Cardiff Giant( "discovered" 1869), carvedgypsumstatue presented as a petrified man, over 10 feet (3.0 m) tall
• Davenport Tablets(discovered 1877–1978), ornately carved slate tablets of purported Native American origin, but dubious authenticity
• Drake's Plate of Brass(discovered 1936), purported to have been left byFrancis Drakeafter landing in Northern California in 1579
• "Egyptian mummy" ca. 1898,purchased from the estate ofConfederateColonel Breevoort Butler in the 1920s, the "mummy" was found to be a wooden frame covered withpapier-mache;it is on display at the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson, Mississippi with its true nature openly revealed
• Etruscan terracotta warriorspurchased by New York'sMetropolitan Museum of Artfrom 1915 to 1921; announced as forgeries in 1961
• Grave Creek Stone
• Japanese Paleolithic hoax
• Kinderhook plates
• Michigan relics
• Persian Princess,forged ancient mummy, possible murder victim
• Piltdown Man
• Tiara of Saitafernein Louvre

Cases generally believed by professional archaeologists to be forgeries or hoaxes

Head ofGudea,ruler ofLagash,a Confiscated forgery; head of the Sumerian rulerGudea.Sold as a genuine ancient Mesopotamian piece and now held at theSulaymaniyah Museum,Iraq.

• America's Stonehenge
• Bat Creek inscription
• Bourne stone
• Burrows Cave
• Crystal skulls,claimed to be Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican, but now believed to be modern
• Los Lunas Decalogue Stone
• Newark Holy Stones:Keystone tablet and the Newark Decalogue Stone
• Walam Olum
• Shroud of Turin
• Kensington Runestone
• Gosford Glyphs(discovered in the 1970s), Egyptian hieroglyphs carved into a pair of sandstone walls in New South Wales, Australia; widely acknowledged as modern forgeries, a minority of scholars use the glyphs as evidence of ancient Egyptian contact with Australia

Cases that several professional archaeologists believe to be forgeries or hoaxes

• James Ossuary
• Jehoash Inscription
• Ivory pomegranate
• The pieces discovered in 2005-2006 inIruña-Veleia

Cases that some professional archaeologists believe to be forgeries or hoaxes

• Phaistos disc
• Gabriel's Revelation
• Cascajal Block
• Mask of Agamemnon
• Glozel tablets(archeological site discovered 1924), set of 100 inscribed ceramic tablets found in an authentic Medieval site among other artifacts of mixed authenticity and period

See also

• Art forgery
• Literary forgery
• Nebra sky disk
• Outline of forgery
• Pious forgery
• Scientific misconduct