Research
Publications
We will blog on the project at the Markers of Authenticity blog.
Articles and Book chapters
R.A.D. Bott, ‘Cataloguing Authenticity: Exploring Collection Engagement with Forged Papyri Through Online Catalogues’, in E. Smith and S. Austin (eds), Researching a Rigged Game: Digital Approaches to Tracing the Illicit Trade in Cultural Objects, Studies in Art, Heritage, Law and the Market, vol. 11 (Cham: Springer, 2026), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-02014-7_8
R. Yuen-Collingridge, ‘Forgery as Decolonisation: Constantine Simonides in Liverpool’, in K. Blouin and B. Akrigg (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Classics, Colonialism, and Postcolonial Theory, Routledge Handbooks of Classics and Theory (London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2025), 475–95. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003096016-27
E. Handby and Z. Roberts, ‘Criminals or Craftsmen of Genius? Attitudes towards Antiquities Forgery in the Australian Press, 1900–1956’, History Australia (2025), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14490854.2025.2573457
D. Huffer and E. Handby (eds), Investigating Online Heritage Crime: New Directions, New Technologies, Emerging Markets (New York: Berghahn Books, 2025). https://doi.org/10.1515/9781836953074
E. Handby, ‘How to Sell an Ancient Manuscript on YouTube: Investigating a Hidden Corner of the Internet Market in Antiquities’, in D. Huffer and E. Handby (eds), Investigating Online Heritage Crime: New Directions, New Technologies, Emerging Markets (New York: Berghahn Books, 2025), 13–32. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781836953074-004
R. Bott, ‘‘A Perplexed Crocodile’ and Other Sculptures: Some Sheikh Ibada Fakes in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden’, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 111(1–2) (2025), 171–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/03075133251361160
R. Bott, ‘“Miscellaneous Fragments” and “Specimens of the Faker’s Art”: Fake Papyri and the British-American Papyrus Syndicate’, Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 61 (2024), 335–67. https://doi.org/10.2143/BASP.61.0.3293802
T. Murray, K. Pearlman, S. Russo, H.-M. Teo, R. Tulloch, R. Yuen-Collingridge and M. Choat, ‘Peribiophoty’, Journal of Embodied Research 6(1) (2023), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.16995/jer.9985
R. Lucarelli and M. Choat, ‘The Art of Forgery in the Manuscript Culture in Antiquity’, in R. Lucarelli and M.A. Stadler (eds), The Oxford Handbook of the Egyptian Book of the Dead (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023), 556–68. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190210007.013.26
R. Yuen-Collingridge, ‘Between Representation and the Real: The Forgeries of Constantine Simonides’, in N. Brodie, M.M. Kersel and J. Munch Rasmussen (eds), Variant Scholarship: Ancient Texts in Modern Contexts (Leiden: Sidestone Press, 2023), 203–18.
E. Handby, ‘Trafficking Fake “Ancient” Torahs in Turkey: A Media Analysis’, Public Archaeology (2023), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/14655187.2023.2218729
L. Dundler, ‘#antiquitiesdealers’, in N. Oosterman and D. Yates (eds), Crime and Art, Studies in Art, Heritage, Law and the Market, vol. 1 (Cham: Springer, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84856-9_4
T. Wasserman and M. Choat, ‘“The Cable Guy:” Constantine Simonides and Codex Mayerianus’, Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 57 (2020), 177–218. https://doi.org/10.2143/BASP.57.0.3288505
L. Dundler, ‘“Still Covered in Sand. Looked Very Old.” — Legal Obligations in the Internet Market for Antiquities’, Heritage 2(3) (2019), 2311–26. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage2030142
M. Choat, ‘Forging Antiquities: The Case of Papyrus Fakes’, in S. Hufnagel and D. Chappell (eds), The Palgrave Handbook on Art Crime (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), 557–86. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54405-6_26
R. Yuen-Collingridge, ‘Constantine Simonides and Papyrus Fragments of Gemistus Pletho’s Μαγικὰ λόγια τῶν ἀπὸ Ζωροάστρου μάγων’, Analecta Papyrologica 31 (2019), 369–85.
M. Choat, ‘Dating Papyri: Familiarity, Instinct and Guesswork’, Journal for the Study of the New Testament 41 (2019), 58–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142064X19855580
M. Choat, ‘The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife: A Preliminary Paleographical Assessment’, Harvard Theological Review 107 (2014), 160–62. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0017816014000145
In preparation
M. Choat, R. Yuen-Collingridge, and R. Ast, ‘A Catalog of Simonides’ Papyri’
Public Writing
J. Cooper and R. Bott, ‘Sudan’s National Treasures Have Been Stolen — We Spoke with the Director of Museums’, The Conversation, 22 November 2024.
J. Droogan and M. Choat, ‘The Taliban’s Rule Threatens What’s Left of Afghanistan’s Dazzlingly Diverse Cultural History’, The Conversation, 15 September 2021.
M. Choat and R. Yuen-Collingridge, ‘Unearthing Museum Fakes is Critical for Setting the Historical Record Straight’, The Lighthouse, 2 November 2018.
Radio and Podcasts
M. Choat and R. Yuen-Collingridge, ‘Detecting forgeries and fakes in the ancient world’. 2SER, 24 August 2018
R. Yuen-Collingridge, ‘Papyrology and ethics in Ancient History’. Wide Open Air Exchange, 2SER 5 September 2022 Radio Version
M. Choat, (along with many contributors) ‘Sappho’, Sweetbitter podcast, 2022, episodes 4–7.
Theses
Evie Handby, PhD 2025, Rethinking Bad Fakes: Tracing the Emergence and Impact of the Fake Ancient Bible Industry (Principal Supervisor: Malcolm Choat)
Richard Bott, PhD 2025, “Probably a Fake, Rather Well Done:” Understanding the Collection of Forged Papyri, 1880-1999 (Principal Supervisor: Malcolm Choat)
Arzak Mohamed, PhD 2025, The chemistry of Egyptian papyri and their inks (Associate Supervisor: Malcolm Choat)
Mahtab Hassanzadeh, MRes 2025, Qabl az Islam, Ba’ad az Islam: Archaeology, Identity, and Nationalism from the 19th Century to Post-1979 Iranian Revolution(Associate Supervisor: Rachel Yuen-Collingridge)
Lauren Dundler, PhD 2022, Rethinking Engagement with and Consumption of the Past: An Ethical Framework for the 21st Century Antiquities Market (Principal Supervisor: Malcolm Choat)
Evie Handby, MRes 2020, YouTube Markets and Media Hype: Facilitating the Trade in Fake Biblical Manuscripts through New and Traditional Media (Principal Supervisor: Rachel Yuen-Collingridge)
Candice Green, MRes 2019, The integration of ancient Egyptian artefacts into modern jewellery: forgery or history? (Principal Supervisor: Malcolm Choat)
Richard Bott, MRes 2019, Distorting the Corpus: Scholarly Interaction and the Erroneous Authentication of the Sheikh Ibada Fakes. (Principal Supervisor: Malcolm Choat)
Lauren Dundler, MRes 2017, Collecting papyrus in the 21st century: a comparison of existing and emerging trade markets. (Principal Supervisor: Malcolm Choat)
Papers
Papers given by the team on the themes of the project.
Malcolm Choat, Panelist: ‘Provenance in an eBay World: Does the Provenance of Ancient Artifacts Matter?’, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting Atlanta, 23 November 2015.
Malcolm Choat, ‘Forged memories, real emotions: discourses of authenticity and the debate over fake artifacts’, Moving Minds: Converting cognition and emotion in history, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2–4 March 2016.
Rachel-Yuen Collingridge ‘Zukunftsgeschichte and the future of history’, Markers of Authenticity, Macquarie University, 11 March 2016.
Malcolm Choat , ‘What is a forgery? Constantine Simonides, the Joseph Mayer papyri, and Hermippus of Beirut’, Markers of Authenticity, Macquarie University, 1 April 2016.
Malcolm Choat, ‘From Constantine Simonides to the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife: the Authentication of Papyri and Development of Palaeography’, Manuscript Forgeries and Counterfeiting Scripture in the Twenty-First Century, University of Agder, 13–15 April 2016.
Malcolm Choat, ‘Forging Antiquity: An overview of the Project’, Manuscript Forgeries and Counterfeiting Scripture in the Twenty-First Century, University of Agder, 13–15 April 2016.
Malcolm Choat, ‘Constantine Simonides and his Biblical Papyri’, Scripture, Reception, and Authenticity, a Markers of Authenticity workshop, 9 September 2016.
Malcolm Choat, ‘Speed-Dating Papyri: Familiarity, Instinct, and Guesswork’, Panel: Dating Early Christian Papyri: Old and New Methods, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, San Antonio, 21 November 2016.
Malcolm Choat, ‘Hermippus of Beirut, Simonides of Symi, and the forgery of papyri’, Australasian Society for Classical Studies Annual Conference, Victoria University, Wellington, 31 January–3 February 2017.
Malcolm Choat and Rachel Yuen-Collingridge, ‘Jean Mabillon, Pierre Hamon, and the first forged papyrus in Europe’, Australia and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies biennial conference, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand, 7–10 February 2017.
Malcolm Choat, Rachel Yuen-Collingridge, and Vanessa Mawby, ‘Forging Antiquity: Insights from a new ARC Discovery Project’, Markers of Authenticity, Macquarie University, 2 June 2017.
Lauren Dundler in discussion with Iain Shearer, ‘The Internet Antiquities Trade: Insight into an Invisible Market?’, Markers of Authenticity, Macquarie University, 9 June 2017.
Lauren Dundler, ‘Collecting Papyrus in the 21st Century: Price, Provenance and Personae’,Immortal Words: Classical Antiquity Then and Now: AMPHORAE XI, University of Sydney, 12–14 July 2017.
Malcolm Choat and Tommy Wasserman, ‘The Cable Guy: Constantine Simonides and His New Testament Papyri’, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Boston, 18 November 2017.
Malcolm Choat, Panelist: ‘The United States of Hobby Lobby’, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Boston, 20 November 2017.
Lauren Dundler, ‘(Re)Defining Provenance: Origins, Authenticity, and a Performance of Taste in the Internet Market for Papyrus’, Australasian Society for Classical Studies Annual Conference, University of Queensland, 30 January – 2 February 2018.
Malcolm Choat, ‘The Forger and the Chemist: Constantine Simonides, Henry Deane, and the (de)authentication of Forged Manuscripts’, Humanities Research Centre Seminar Series, Australian National University, 27 February 2018.
Related Projects
There are a range of projects being currently undertaken in various institutions on issues related to forged antiquities. Below we list those of which we are aware: to alert us to others, please email info@forgingantiquity.com.
- The Lying Pen of Scribes. Manuscript Forgeries and Counterfeiting Scripture in the Twenty-First Century
- A project based at the University of Agder in Norway, concentrating on forged manuscripts which have come to light in the last fifteen years, with a special focus on recently published and publicised Dead Sea Scrolls material. Also visit them on facebook.
- False testimonianze. Copie, contraffazioni, manipolazioni e abusi del documento epigrafico antico
- A National Research Project funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, based at Ca' Foscari University of Venice and led by Lorenzo Calvelli, this project focuses on fake Roman inscriptions.
- Christopher Rollston's blog
- Christopher Rollston maintains a blog on ancient epigraphy where he frequently addressed issues of forged textual antiquities.
- Forgery and the Ancient: Art, Agency, Authorship
- The 2017--2018 Seminar of the Humanities Research Center at Rice University, Texas was based on the theme 'Forgery and the Ancien'.
- Leibniz Research Alliance Historical Authenticity
- The Leibniz Research Alliance on Historical Authenticity explored contemporary conceptions of authenticity through a range of approaches from 2013 to 2021 and has been succeeeded by the Leibniz Research Alliance on the “Value of the Past”
- 'Imitations, copies et faux. Des rives du Nil à Rome.'
- A report on a 2016 symposium of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres on this theme, including video presentations.
Bibliography
A selection of earlier work on forged papyri (to be expanded in the future).
Coles R.A. and Gallazzi, C. “Papyri and Ostraka: Alterations and Counterfeits”, in Scritti in onore di Orsolina Montevecchi (Bologna: Clueb, 1981), pp. 99–105.
Horak, U. “Fälschungen auf Papyrus, Pergament, Papier und Ostraka”, Tyche 6(1991), pp. 91–98.
Horak, U. “Fälschungen auf Papyrus, Pergament und Papier”, in C. Gastgeber (ed.), Kopie und Fälschung (Graz: Adeva Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt, 2001), pp. 51–60.
Schmidt, C. “Über moderne Papyrusfälschungen”, in Actes du Ve Congrès international de Papyrologie, Oxford 30 août-3 septembre 1937 (Bruxelles: Fondation égyptologique reine Élisabeth, 1938), pp. 370–380.