What's on the menu in Germany?... Beer, Brauts, and People?

According to a recent excavation at Herxheim in Germany people may have been on the dinner menu. There is evidence that several hundred people may have been butchered at the site in a similar way to other animals. While these initial findings may suggest cannibalism according to French anthropologist Bruno Boulestin, German researchers are skeptical. The Germans claim that the butchered bodies and the removal of the flesh could indicate a system of reburial and not cannibalism. The most convincing evidence for cannibalism, however, comes from the apparent teeth marks found on the ends of intentionally broken hand and arm bones.

I don't know about anyone else but as soon as teeth marks are confirmed on the bodies it almost has to be a case of cannibalism. While it is possible that animals, like the pets of the killers, could have caused any teeth marks after the bodies were fed to them it seems unlikely that people would go through all the effort of scalping, removing the tongue and jaw muscles, separating the ribs from the spine, and chopping a guy up so that his dog doesn't choke on all the big pieces. What it really sounds like is that someone had a barbecue and the neighbors were on the menu.But really, you can't blame the German researchers for getting their backs up about the theory that their ancestors could have been cannibals. After all, the Germans have enough skeletons in their closet as is, it would be a bit of a blow to national pride to find out that the reason there are skeletons in the closet is because they ate them.

Snake Goddess... the Breast aren't the only thing that look fake on some of them

After Arther Evans' discover the of snake goddess figures at Knossos it suddenly became all the rage to own one. As a result forgers of the time met the demand with their supply. At least 14 unprovenienced goddess statues made their way into museums and private collections a like. While the goddess statues all match the stylistic attributes of the originals the material undoubtedly gives them away as modern copies.

What caught my attention about these fakes is that I have heard about the goddess figurines in several of my classes but never heard about the fakes. Although, in today's world it would be hard to not find something exceedingly popular and expensive in the art world and not have at least a couple forgeries floating around. In the novel that I read for my book report I believe I read a statistic claiming that approximately 10% of all known paintings by major artists are fake. While it is impossible to know anything for sure in the art world the 10% figure, I thought, was a bit optimistic. There are so many people out there with decidedly loose morals who are willing to rip people off to make a buck.

While on the topic of fakes, another thing in the book that I read which surprised me was that some artists encouraged forgeries. I believe it was Picasso that once had a dealer come up to him and ask Picasso to sign a piece of work, claiming it had been unsigned by the artist and that the painting was for a client. Picasso noticed that the painting wasn't his but because it was such a good copy he signed it anyway. While this admittedly has little to do with the sculptures in the original article, I thought it funny and some artists actually supposed forgers of their work instead of reprimanding them. How does the saying go?... imitation is the most sincere form of flattery?

Was Indy right about the Crystal Skulls?

According to Jane Walsh, the movie isn't even close. Although there are such as thing as crystal skulls from Mexico very little about them is alien or even that old. While crystal skulls have been popping up since the 19th century all of them lack provenance and remain a mystery. According to Jane Walsh,however, the crystal skulls popularity can be traced back to one man, Eugene Boban. Boban was a French antiquarian with a specific interest in Meso-American art. Walsh claims that it was he who started the crystal skull fad by having crystal skulls made in Mexico so that he could sell them, along with other looted artifacts in the world's cultural centers of London and Paris. For a long time, up to 60 years, these skulls were thought to be genuine. It was not until the stone work was inspected more closely by microscope that it was discovered that it was impossible for these skulls to be real, the tool marks indicated modern methods were used to create the skulls. Although most museums, like the British Museum, still display the skulls as forgeries some places in Mexico and South American try to pass the skulls off as genuine. The reason for this deception is that the skulls draw a crowd for the museum. I find it kind of sad that a museum, an institution that is supposed to be about the spread of knowledge, continues to lie to its patrons about the history of its artifacts and by extension the people it represents. The article that I read this on is only from 2008, so it is highly likely that the museums in question are still showing off the skulls and perhaps might be trying to ride on some of the Indian Jones hype to get a few more visitors.

Everyone knows that the only way to stop a Vampire is to put a brick in its mouth, right?

In a medieval mass grave in Venice, Italy archaeologists found a body with a brick shoved in its mouth. This is the first time that any archaeologists have found actual proof of this practice to ward off vampires. Although it does not mention it in the articles I am assuming that the practice of placing a brick in the mouth of a corpse must have been written down somewhere, otherwise how would the archaeologists know? I don't know about anyone else, but to me this whole brick in the mouth thing seems very counter productive, everyone knows that vampires have super strength and can only be killed with a stake through the heart. Unlike the modern myths, apparently medieval vampires were much easier to dispose of.

The researchers also explain in the article that the reason why people were thought to be vampires is because once a person dies the stomach can release purge fluid, which is a dark blood like liquid. This liquid of finds its way into the decease's nose and mouth and eventually rotted the burial shroud around the face. To the gravediggers that would have reopened the pit grave during a plague the blood around the mouth and the opening in the shroud by the mouth would have looked like a vampire that had chewed through the burial cloth. To me its funny to see how far the myth of vampires has come since then. Previously vampires were seen as spreaders of disease and now today they are revered in movies like Twilight, Blade, and Underworld. While the vampires never do quite escape the stigma of being infected or cursed, even in today's incarnation, it is the fear that they invoke and their supernatural mystic that is now embraced by the people of today, whereas it was to be feared centuries ago.

Underwater

So as I was watching TV today I happened upon a show about ancient underwater sites. Of which there was a segment on the sunken port of Alexandria in Egypt. The show told how the city was likely sunk due to seismic activity and the resulting tidal wave. However, more importantly the show featured the archaeologists excavating and finding numerous sculptures in great condition and even gold jewelry buried in the silt. The finds were really quite remarkable. This really got me thinking about underwater archaeology as a whole. This show I was watching was all about sunken cities or ports and I imagine that there are other archaeological sites that we know about that have not been thoroughly excavated. The reason for this is that underwater archaeology is expensive and limiting. For one, the archaeologists can only spend a minutes at a time underwater because they are restricted to their oxygen tanks. However, this is not exactly a bad thing. Because underwater archaeological sites are difficult to get to and the time one can spend at a site it limited it means that there is a higher probability that the site itself is going to remain undisturbed by treasure hunters, new or old. I can now see why there are professional treasure hunters that specifically target the sea, even though it costs more money to excavate, or salvage, the reward the the potential to be much greater as well.

Provenance- a book report- part 3

The ethical issues in this book are everywhere, most of which involve Drewe and his lack of any kind of ethical behaviour. The most compelling is that of Myatt. He first starts off as a struggling single parent who is trying to make some extra money, this is a very noble act on his behalf. However, it quickly turns around on him when Drewe starts selling his fakes as a business. While Myatt unwittingly assists Drewe in the beginning, the situation quickly becomes evident to Myatt, as Drewe has no knowledge of the art world and uses Myatt as his mentor. It is at this point where Myatt had to make a decision, either to continue to help Drewe and make some extra money or to struggle but remain an honest man. While this is a question of ethics it is also a question of survival. The author mentions that as is Myatt was barely making ends meet, his children desperately needed new clothes and the bank was coming after him for his house. The initial decision to get into the forgery business was not just a question of ethics but of providing for his family. In this regard I can sympathize with Myatt and excuse his early transgressions. What I find a problem with, that the author neglects, is that when Myatt starts working for Drewe he then quits his job as a teacher. At this point Myatt’s painting becomes less of a question of survival and more of a full on profession. It is at this point that I believe Myatt crossed the ethical line and was in the wrong. He was no longer forging because it was necessary and was now doing so as a choice. To combat Myatt’s blatant ethical blunder and to make him into a more sympathetic character the author retells about Myatt’s constant guilt and urges to quit the business. However, all of this actually means very little when you consider that Myatt produced forgeries for almost a decade. Myatt had plenty of time to quit if he wanted to but he made a choice to continue to make forgeries for a very extended period of time. After such a long career as a forger it is hard to feel bad for the guy.

Provenance- a book report- part 2

The middle section of the book is focused on the investigation of Drewe. It starts with Detective Richard Higgs, a police officer who is about to retire and is investigating the arson of the boarding house previously mentioned. While he does speculate Drewe is the cause of fire he cannot prove it. The only real evidence he has against Drewe is the surviving student who saw a man in the building earlier in the night. However, when put in a line up she does not recognize him; the author claims that it is because he changed his appearance. Nevertheless, the investigation fizzles and the case is left unsolved.

The next piece of the puzzle that is unravelled comes from Mary Palmer, the manager of the Alberto Giacometti foundation, a body that is working to catalogue the artist’s work and is the foremost authority on his work. Palmer becomes involved in the story when dealers start coming to her for certificates of authenticity and she notices that the works themselves are fake, despite impeccable provenances. From here she does some research on the provenances and discovers that they are fake, both the painting and their history. However, the proof she has is inconclusive and is not enough to go to the authorities with, although she does tip of one of the supervisors at the Tate, the art history museum that the records were tampered at. Something that I found interesting in the book is that the author glorifies her as a very sharp and strong willed individual for initially discovering the fraud, she is also seen as highly unprofessional and as having a poor reputation in the art community. Whether her unprofessionalism and her reputation have anything to do with one another is suspect but it certainly is something to consider when looking at the character.

The investigation into Drewe does not start to pick up again until Betsheva Goudsmid, his ex-wife, found several garbage bags full of documents that Drewe left in the attic and delivered them to police. From here, police had everything they needed to start an investigation. Dectective Sergant Searle took over the investigation from here and began digging and uncovering more and more evidence incriminating Drewe. With the help of Mary Palmer the police were able to determine how the fraud was being commited. However, the final lynch pin in the whole investigation came when the police arrested Myatt. Myatt immediately confessed and co-cooperated fully with police.

The last part of the book is dedicated solely to the building of the court case against Drewe. Myatt was vital to this part of the investigation, as he identified all of the paintings that he made. One thing that I found intriguing that the author never really talked much about is that there is a point when Myatt identifies a work that he did not make. The detectives and the author both cite this as important because it shows the forgery network expanded beyond Myatt. However, the author does not explain if this other artist was ever found or how many artists Drewe had at his disposal. I thought this would have been vital to the case and the book, as it possibly would have added emphasised the scale of Drewe’s operation. The highlights of the last section include Drewe’s initial arrest, interrogation, and numerous failed appearances. Drewe’s strategy for trail was to tell elaborate lies and stall the courts with phony medical excuses. Drewe himself even fired his lawyer so that he may represent himself. The purpose of this was to give himself sometime in the spotlight and to weave an elaborate web of lies for the juror, which included himself as the scapegoat of the government. He made outrageous claims of being an arms dealer and a spy for the government, among many other things. Throughout the whole trial Drewe is said to have never shown the slightly bit of remorse or shame, with the exception of once instance. Daniel Stoakes was one of the accused in the foraging ring and was also said to be Drewe’s only real friend. Throughout the book the author’s told the story of Drewe and Stoakes’ childhood, how they were loners who relied on each other’s company and concocted wild and crazy ideas together. After years of being apart, Drewe came to Stoakes with a business idea. Stoakes unwittingly agreed and ended up taking part of the fall for Drewe. During the trial it is said that Drewe leaned over to Stoakes and apologized to him. Throughout the whole story, this moment has to be regarded as the only true, heartfelt, words that came out of Drewe’s mouth.

In hindsight, it certainly seems as though Drewe was villianized by the authors, it seems unlikely that anyone could live such a distorted life. If Drewe really did live his life how the author claims then I would have to say the description fits, at one point the author says that while some con artists live a double life Drewe was completely different, he was a mirage. He did not live a double life; he lived strictly in his fantasy world. Everything about him was fake, everything was an illusion.

Provenance- a book report- part 1

The book that I read for the purpose of this book report was Provenance by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo. The basic premise of the book is to retell the story of one of the greatest art forgery scams in recent memory. The events in the book took place between 1986 and 1995, during which time it is estimated the con men pocketed over a million pounds.

The book itself is pretty well split into thirds. The first describes the two main perpetrators, John Myatt and John Drewe and their relationship. The second introduces the police and art investigators, including private citizens who work on the behalf of artists’ foundation, like Mary Palmer who managed the foundation dedicated to the works of Alberto Giacometti. The third section is all about the capture and conviction of all people’s involved.

As mentioned previously the first section is dedicated to the introduction and relationship of John Myatt and John Drewe. John Myatt is a 40-something single parent with two children who is a life long artist. As a child he went to art school and pursued it with passion until he realized that he would never make it big. From here he moved into music and had a hit pop song. After this his life pretty much fell apart, the royalties from his music career stopped, his marriage fell apart, and he was reduced to teaching art classes to survive. It is at this point that John Drewe comes into the story. In order to make some extra money Myatt takes out an ad in the paper selling his services as an artist. One of the people that call him happens to be Drewe. The author goes on to say how when Myatt and Drewe met Myatt was enthralled with Drewe and mesmerized by his charm and intelligence. The author paints Myatt as a down and out guy who clung to Drewe as a lifeline. Throughout the whole of the book Myatt is a very sympathetic character, he is portrayed as a victim of circumstance and as an honest man who made a bad choice. These points are emphasized by the side stories of Myatt’s adventure to the auction house to watch his forgeries being sold, the author tells how bad Myatt felt afterwards and how he took no satisfaction from watching his paintings being sold. In addition, Myatt does eventually quit the forging business and cooperates fully with police when they eventually come knocking at his door. One thing that I found interesting while reading the book is that the author does mention how Myatt is the main artist that Drewe has under his sphere of control but at the time only briefly mentions the possibility of other artists that may have been working for Drewe with no clue as to whether they were ever found or not. Nevertheless, the author never once loses focus on who the bad guy is in the story and attacks him mercilessly.

Drewe is a very interesting fellow, as most of his acquaintances acknowledge themselves. He is a rare breed of person who seemingly has no moral compass and is willing to do anything or say anything to get his way. Drewe is depicted as a man who preys on the weak and vulnerable, he manipulates not only Myatt but others who are down on their luck like his neighbour and numerous local salesman. Drewe appeals to their sense of need and promises large rewards for their work, which is only occasionally delivers. Not only is Drewe a manipulator or people but he is a pathological liar. The man is nothing that he claims to be, which is often varied and outrageous; like a nuclear physicist, a member of the Mossad, a professor, a government agent, a director of military operations at MI5, the chairman of Norseland industries (actually a shell company), etc. He consistently lies, even when not necessary, to gain attention. Throughout the book Drewe is often said to go to a dinner party or have a conversation with something and totally dominate the conversation with his phony stories, many of which he stole from other people at a bar or from the spy novels he reads. While Drewe is no doubt outrageous in the extreme, he is also said to be highly intelligent and a master of reading people. However, one thing that I found odd is that for all of his intelligence and apparent abilities to communicate with others and manipulate people he is consistently said to have no success with women. Numerous times in the book he is said to be a shameless flirt but never once do the women take any interest in him. One would think that an individual who specializes in manipulating people would be able to charm almost any women off their feet. The thought also occurred to me that this might just be one of the author’s attacks on Drewe’s character; his inability to attract women may be used to somehow emasculate him. The reason for this speculation is that there is a definite trend in the book where Drewe’s deeds become progressively more illegal and vile. He starts out as a simple con man, he sells forged paintings and uses people, not really much of a big deal. As the book progresses he becomes a gun nut, a psychotic ex-husband, and finally a murderer. While the first two claims are backed by the testimony of other people the third claim is highly speculative. There is no real evidence that links him with the crime, although the circumstantial evidence the author presents is fairly strong.