About us

Aims

The project aims to produce a full typology of forged papyri of all types, from the early modern period to the present day, by a close exmaination of fake papyri of every type. Alongside this, we investigate how papyrus forgers work, both in terms of the methods they use, and the assumptions about the past which they exploit when producing fakes. In doing do, we will locate and contextualise debates over forged papyri within contemporary discussions, in particular debates over the ethics and practice of the antiquities trade and the related problem of the illegal trafficking of artefacts; and public perceptions of the relative value of scientific and humanities expertise in the detection of forged artefacts.

• Journal articles and book chapters relating to the theme. Those in progress so far include:
  • a treatment by Yuen-Collingridge of 16th century forger Pierre Hamon;
  • an article by Choat on the development of authenticating techniques by Jean Mabillon;
  • a chapter by Choat on Forged papyri in a Handbook on Art Crime edited by Saskia Maria Hufnagel & Duncan Chappell (Palgrave Macmillan).

• A volume, co-edited by the project team along with collaborators, on forged papyri from (or allegedly from) Egypt, with editions and commentary.

• A monograph, co-authored by Choat and Yuen-Collingridge, on the mid-nineteenth century master forger and self-taught manuscript expert Constantine Simonides. This will focus primarily on the collection of forged papyri in the World Museum at Liverpool and on Simonides’ time in England in 1859–1863, telling the story of someone forging Greek history, and selling it (literally and metaphorically) to the English.

• An online database of forged papyri from (or allegedly from) Egypt.

• A study by Dundler of the Internet trade in papyrus.

Team

The team for ‘Forging Antiqity’ is based at Macquarie University, Sydney, and the University of Heidelberg, Germany.

Lead Investigators:

• Malcolm Choat
• Rodney Ast

Postdoctoral Fellow and Project Manager:

• Rachel Yuen-Collingridge

Research Assistants:

• Daniel Hanigan
• Vanessa Mawby
• Jacob Gwiazdzinski

Research students:

• Lauren Dundler

Collaborators:

• Tommy Wasserman
• Gregg Schwender