Archaeological forgery is the manufacture of supposedly ancient items that are sold to theantiquities market and may even end up in the collections of museums. It is related toart forgery, and can overlap for certain periods.
A string of archaeological forgeries have usually followed news of prominentarchaeological excavations. Historically, famous excavations like those inCrete, theValley of the Kings inEgypt andPompeii have 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-Columbian pottery from South America have been very common. Other popular examples include Ancient Egyptianearthenware and supposed ancientGreek cheese. There have also been paleontological forgeries like thearchaeoraptor or thePiltdown Man skull.
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 (oragainst a 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.
Investigators of archaeological forgery rely on the tools ofarchaeology in general. Since the age of the object is usually the most significant detail, they try to useradiocarbon dating orneutron activation analysis to find out the real age of the object.
Somehistorians and archaeologists have strongly criticized theantiquities trade for putting profit andart collecting before 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.[citation needed]
James Mellaart (1925–2012), Englisharchaeologist and author who is noted for his discovery of theNeolithic settlement ofÇatalhöyük inTurkey. After his death, it was discovered that he had forged many of his "finds", includingmurals and inscriptions used to discover the Çatalhöyük site.[1][2]
Shinichi Fujimura (b. 1950), Japanese amateur archeologist who planted specimens on false layers to gain more prestige
Shaun Greenhalgh (b. 1961), a prolific and versatile British forger, who, with the help of his family, forged Ancient Egyptian statues,Roman silverware andCeltic gold jewelry among more modern artworks. Arrested in 2006 attempting to sell threeAssyrian reliefs to theBritish Museum.
"Egyptian mummy" ca. 1898, purchased from the estate ofConfederate Colonel 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
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.
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
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[4][5]
