By
Ayse Guner
Arizona Daily Wildcat
David Soren wants to know if what is considered ancient archaeology is the truth or a hoax.
But that is not easy, since what is purported as ancient history has already been recorded in museums, in the media and in textbooks, said Soren, a UA professor of classics and classical archaeology.
Soren spoke about the validity of archaeological discoveries to about 100 people last night at the Center for Creative Photography, touching on some of his research into archeological frauds that were once valued as major breakthroughs.
Soren, who had done excavations around the world in the past, discovered various fake "finds" - such as a temple in Portugal and a vase at Harvard University.
About 18 years ago, Soren visited south-central Portugal to dig more into a "strange" discovery - the temple of Mirobriga - first discovered by an archeologist in the 1960s.
Soren's suspicions soon brought him to realize the impossibility of a temple that looked "damn peculiar" in the ancient Roman community, dating back to 300 A.D., he said.
Soren found out the temple columns were carried by a farmer from a bath site and attached there only seven years ago.
Also, the archaeologist who was known to be the site's discoverer carried a fake credential.
"He wasn't an archaeologist, but a gynecologist," Soren said.
Another hoax Soren discovered was when he was a graduate student and was curious about a vase exhibited at Fogg Museum at Harvard University.
When Soren put the vase under ultra-violet light, he found out that worn off designs had been re-painted.
"A piece of crap," he said about the vase.
Archaeologists tend to have an idea of what ancient sites looked like, but the "real" truth is different, he said, using the "Ryoichi/Nagatani Excavations" exhibition at CCP as an example of an artist's interpretation of ancient life.
The photographs, taken by University of New Mexico art professor Patrick Nagatani, reflect contemporary art challenging the idea that time is linear. One photograph shows a Jaguar car buried under an ancient site.
"We are all better when we commune with nature, like Patrick," Soren commented. "We are scientists seeking the truth in time."
What is shown by the media about ancient discoveries could be different from reality, he said.
"You (have to) try to get away from the myth inside your mind by refining until you get to the real truth," Soren said.
