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Dr Valentina Rossi of University College Cork, Ireland, who led the research team which discovered that a 280-million-year-old lizard fossil is, in part, a forgery. Source: Zixiao Yang/University College Cork

The Oldest Fossil Reptile from the Alps is Declared an Historic Forgery

A 280-million-year-old fossil that has baffled researchers for decades has been shown to be, in part, a forgery following new examination of the remnants. The discovery has led the team headed by Dr...
Representational image of a fake Egyptian tomb interior. Source: Amith / Adobe Stock

Fake Egyptian Tomb Fraudsters Almost Pull Off Legendary Hoax

Egypt’s Public Prosecution office just issued an arrest warrant for a group of crafty criminals who cooked up an ingenious scheme to swindle antiquities traffickers. These daring fraudsters went all...
The controversial Sponsian coin. Source: The Hunterian / University of Glasgow

‘Fake’ Gold Coins Prove Roman Emperor Sponsian Was Real

For many years, a hoard of Roman coins uncovered in Transylvania in 1713 were thought to be forgeries, with the ancient coinage displaying the name of an apparently “lost” emperor known as Sponsian...
Landowning houses used charters to confirm their ownings. Source: Thomas Mucha / Adobe Stock.

Forged Medieval Charters: How To Rewrite History In The Middle Ages

At first glance, charters seem to be nothing more than obscure and boring legal documents, as dull in the Middle Ages as they are today. On closer examination however, there is much more to charters...
Pseudo-History or Famed Fiction? Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia

Pseudo-History or Famed Fiction? Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia

Geoffrey of Monmouth has gone down in history for his classic epic, the Historia Regum Britanniae , known in English as The History of the Kings of Britain . This masterpiece of medieval literature...
Fakes and Controversy on the River Clyde: The Case of Dumbuck Crannog

Fakes and Controversy on the River Clyde: The Case of Dumbuck Crannog

In 1898 the eccentric artist and archaeology enthusiast William Donnelly (1847 – 1905) discovered the Dumbuck Crannog site on the banks of the River Clyde in Scotland . Its excavation proved fruitful...
traditional craftsman creates silver money

Desperate, The Tribes of Israel Turned to "Fake Silver"

Iron Age silver forgeries have been identified by a team of Israeli researchers. This might illustrate the economic hardships of the Tribes of Israel and their decision to make fake silver...
Tiara of Saitaphernes postcard

The Tiara of Saitaphernes: Wow Antique? Fake? Fine Art? Find Out

Some objects are especially prized because the story about them is so precious. The Tiara of Saitaphernes is certainly one of these “priceless” objects and its story is long and surprising. The Tiara...
The Fake Hercules Sarcophagus of Tarragona Spain - And The Real Ones

The Fake Hercules Sarcophagus of Tarragona Spain - And The Real Ones

Some artifacts, even when they were discovered a long time ago are hard to authenticate and some certainly are fakes. The Hercules Sarcophagus is one such artifact, widely regarded to be a hoax. This...
The controversial Praeneste fibula is currently housed at the Luigi Pigorini National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography in Rome. Source: Vobiscum / CC BY-SA 3.0

The Enigmatic Inscription of the Praeneste Fibula – Was it Just a Hoax?

The earliest history of ancient Rome is somewhat clouded in mystery. Judging from its glorious past that spanned many centuries, you would think that it was well documented and crystal clear. But...
The Mythological Reality Of King Minos’ Golden Ring

The Mythological Reality of the King Minos Golden Ring

Over the last two centuries, since archaeologists have been actively digging in the ground searching for evidence of lost civilizations , there have been countless discoveries of ancient cities,...
A collection of fake artifacts (figurines) seized by customs at Heathrow.         Source: Trustees of the British Museum

Trunks of Fake Artifacts from the Middle East Seized at Heathrow

Sent from the underworld of the Kingdom of Bahrain , the sovereign state in the Persian Gulf, to a private address in the U.K., the stash of apparently ancient, but in reality, fake artifacts,...
A new scientific investigation on the 16 purported Dead Sea Scroll fragments at the Museum of the Bible has confirmed that all are modern forgeries. Source: Photograph by Rebecca Hale, NGM staff

ALL Dead Sea Scrolls in Washington Bible Museum are Fakes

Washington DC’s Museum of the Bible was opened in 2017 and has since charged its victims customers $24.99 to see an exhibition of fragments of the Dead Sea Scroll s and a collection of biblical era...
Statue was reportedly illegally smuggled to Mexico.  Source: INAH

Experts Claim Artifact Ceremonially Returned to Nigeria is Fake

A bronze sculpture seized at a Mexican airport last week, and hastily returned to Nigeria, is now claimed to be fake. Last week the BBC reported on a supposedly ancient artifact believed to have been...
Archaeologist Busted for Faking Artifacts Showing Jesus Crucifixion

Archaeologist Busted for Faking Artifacts Showing Jesus Crucifixion

Archaeologists stand on trial, accused of faking a collection of holy artifacts including the earliest depiction of the crucifixion of Christ. Archaeologist Eliseo Gil, geologist Óscar Escribano, and...
Part of Dead Sea Scroll number 109 (4Q109), also known as Qohelet (Ecclesiastes). From Qumran Cave 4

At Least Five Dead Sea Scroll Fragments at the Museum of the Bible Are Fake

The Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. has announced some news that has shocked the archaeological community and scholars around the world. The museum has revealed that some of its most precious...
3-dimensional model of the Shroud of Turin imprint

Investigators use a Volunteer and Real Blood in Forensic Testing of the Shroud of Turin

It is reported in several news outlets that another test has been conducted on the controversial Shroud of Turn which indicates that it is most likely a forgery. This shroud is believed by many to be...
Mellaart claimed to have found these engraved schists at Çatalhöyük. These sketches were also found in Mellaart's apartment.

The Posthumous Disgrace of the Dark Master of Archaeological Hoaxes

Today, we are reminded that the world of archaeology is no different from oil, banking, chess clubs and churches. Wherever a group of people are to be found, while the greater part are honest folk...
‘The Last Judgment’ triptych (open) (1467-1471) by Hans Memling.

Prophecy of the Popes: Are We Reaching the End of Days?

For thousands of years, people all over the ancient world claimed to have the powers of foresight. In 1143, The Prophecy of the Popes was created - listing the future attributes of the 112 pontiffs...
Political Intrigue: The Fake News that Sealed the Fate of Antony and Cleopatra

Political Intrigue: The Fake News that Sealed the Fate of Antony and Cleopatra

Eve MacDonald / The Conversation The papers and social media are today full of claims of fake news; back and forth the accusations fly that one side of the political divide in the US has been filling...
Set of 70 Metal Tablets May Have the Earliest Written Account and Depiction of Jesus

Set of 70 Metal Tablets May Have the Earliest Written Account and Depiction of Jesus

When a set of 70 bound metal tablets was unearthed in Jordan in 2008, questions about the artifacts validity arose. However, researchers have now analyzed the codices and say they are genuine and may...
Papyrus referring to wife of Jesus

Scientists say papyrus referring to wife of Jesus is no fake

In September, 2012, a faded fragment of papyrus, which has controversially come to be known as 'The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife', made international headlines when it was unveilled by Harvard Divinity...