Click here (jewishvirtuallibrary) to read about the object pictured above: an ivory pomegranate once believed to come from Jerusalem's first temple of Solomon, which still stood at the time of the prophet Jeremiah...
Why do you think the public is generally so fascinated with such archaeological 'finds'? What motives (beyond the financial, of course) might be involved with their production/alteration?
6 comments:
I believe that one of the biggest reasons that the public is so fascinated with archaeological finds like this one is because they would gain a physical piece of the past as well as having the ability to learn more about how life was centuries ago. The piece would also lead to fascination because people would start to wonder where it came from and how long it was there, where ever it was found, and why hadn't anyone found it sooner.
One of the motives that I can see being a reason to produce and alteration or a fake of a piece, besides making thousands of dollars off of selling it, but if they had a copy of the original piece, like the gentleman did in this article, you want to keep it for yourself and you don't want anyone else to have it but you still want to make money off it. It's a situation where someone wants to have their cake and eat it too.
Saryn
I think the public is generally interested in archaeological finds because they offer a glimpse into the lifestyles and values of cultures in the past. I think humans have a general curiosity for the unknown, and pieces of history such as the ivory pomegranate help spark the imagination of what life was like in a different time and place.
I agree with Saryn, in that the owner of the artifact would want to keep the original as well as make money off a forgery.
However, I also wonder if there have ever been instances where artifacts have been altered or even totally forged in order for a researcher or scholar to have "proof" of something that happened in history, or in other words, to alter history with artifacts in order to support a belief or historical theory. Maybe this idea is far fetched but I could see how it would be a motive.
Lauren
Well an Archaeologist wants to preserve the history of mankind. The general public is interested in the Archaeological finds because it shows the person there were other people, with lives and other creatures roamed the Earth. The Earth has a history beyond modern man. It shows we have a part in history.
Lisa
I think the interest in such finds especially in the Israel area is to prove the Bible to be accurate. These finds are fascinating and people have always been interested in the archaeological digs in the ancient lands of the Hebrews.
The most obvious reason to forge such artifacts, outside of monetary gains, is to make the finder famous. Since these finds are sought out around the world whoever finds one is suddenly a very sought after person. As long as there is interest in such artifacts there will be those who will fake them.
Bob
I think the public is fascinated with archeological finds like this one is because it is a physical manifestation of a religious tradition. Religious traditions are the strongest, but with any tradition, having a physical record of it is precious. From the post before, about the Agayuliyararput, it was meaningful to both the youth and the elders to have gotten to see the masks again, and made. It is a physical manifestation of their tradition. Similarly this feeling translates to nonreligious aspects as well. If the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence of the United States had originally been lost, it would be a huge deal for them to be found, because it represents the past of a people - who they are and where they come from. Having such a relic from the first temple of Solomon would mean a lot to a huge portion of the global community. It gives the feeling that such a place did exist: here is a piece of it.
Sydney
I think that the public is fascinated by archaeological "finds" because the artifacts help us to connect with those ancient cultures. We think "Oh, they used pitchers? I use pitchers!" This helps to connect on a very tangible level with cultures of the past.
It's hard for me to think of motives for producing false artifacts beyond financial gain. However, perhaps the producers are able to elevate their status in certain circles of collectors and the like. This position, though, would likely also bring increased funds. I feel like all motives lead back to monetary gain, here.
Sophie
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