Top German Archaeologist Accused of Faking Prehistoric Discoveries
Axel von Berg was among the world’s most respected archaeologists. Now, his historic findings are being called into question.
German Archaeologist Faked Skulls & Fragments As Prehistoric
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbsFMb1tB9k
We read at: Top German Archaeologist Accused of Faking Prehistoric Discoveries
By Tim Brinkhof December 6, 2024
Axel von Berg, long ranked among the world’s most respected archaeologists, is facing allegations of falsifying some of his most important prehistoric discoveries. Authorities in the German province of Rhineland-Palatinate have launched an investigation into claims that Von Berg misrepresented the age and origins of several artifacts, including a skull he famously identified as Neanderthal in 1997.
The controversy began earlier this year, when the Interior Ministry of Rhineland-Palatinate received evidence suggesting a senior employee at the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage had tampered with archaeological findings.
A report in the German newspaper Der Spiegel has identified Von Berg as the accused, claiming to have received inside information. According to the publication, an initial investigation by the ministry found that 21 skull fragments had been incorrectly dated, with 18 more potential cases of falsification—involving finds from spearheads to armor buckles—still under review.
Von Berg rose to prominence following a 1997 discovery at a volcanic site near the town of Ochtendung, where he claimed to have unearthed Neanderthal skull fragments while the construction workers clearing the site for redevelopment were away for Easter break. “I knew where to look,” he recalled, “but I was also lucky.”
After review by prominent archaeologists and paleontologists, the find was celebrated as a breakthrough and covered extensively in scientific journals. In the issue of the journal Berichte zur Archäologie an Mittelrhein und Mosel in which Von Berg detailed his discovery, he described the fragments as coming from a “typical Middle Paleolithic context,” with a French Neanderthal expert concurring with his assessment.
Recent investigations, however, have revealed that the skull fragments belong not to a Neanderthal but to a human from the early Middle Ages, making them much less significant.
Mackey’s comment: And this may be only the tip of the Axelberg.
See also e.g. my articles:
Messing with the Neanderthals
https://www.academia.edu/82426592/Messing_with_the_Neanderthals
Sawing off the jaws of Neanderthals to make them appear more ape-like
(6) Sawing off the jaws of Neanderthals to make them appear more ape-like
