. Archæology and false antiquities. practically testingthe truth of the sinister rumours current among thepublic. The result was that they also came upon similarobjects, some of which they picked out of the debris withtheir own hands. To their unsophisticated mindsnothing could be more convincing of the genuinenessof the disputed horn objects. Henceforth, these samepersons, though formerly sceptical, had no longer anydoubt in the matter, and actually attested by theirsignatures the genuineness of the objects collectedduring the excavations. Thus encouraged, our explorer,in order to make his di
. Archæology and false antiquities. practically testingthe truth of the sinister rumours current among thepublic. The result was that they also came upon similarobjects, some of which they picked out of the debris withtheir own hands. To their unsophisticated mindsnothing could be more convincing of the genuinenessof the disputed horn objects. Henceforth, these samepersons, though formerly sceptical, had no longer anydoubt in the matter, and actually attested by theirsignatures the genuineness of the objects collectedduring the excavations. Thus encouraged, our explorer,in order to make his discoveries more widely known,addressed a letter to a newspaper ^ in which he said :— Some of the objects discovered form the collection of theMus6e de IAreuse ; others are actually in the Cantonal Museumof Neuchatel, of which M. Wavre is conservator. All theseobjects, really beautiful works, are made of horn and bear variousmarkings arranged in specific designs. Their extraordinary ^ Siviss Liberale, December ist, 1884. Plate III. * • • • 30. Swiss Lacustrine Forgeries, Age de la Corne, etc. These objects are here reduced by about J^ more than the figures indicate. (After M. Wavre) CONTINENTAL FORGERIES 53 well-preserved condition has for some time past given rise tomuch controversy. A number of amateurs and savants, athome and abroad, have expressed serious doubts about theirauthenticity and, nothing- less than the presence of theseamateurs, along with archgeologists, was sufficient to dispeltheir suspicions. It is only since then that the authorities ofmuseums, not only in Switzerland, but in foreign countries—among others those of the Musee de St. Germain, Paris—haveadmitted the real antique character of these discoveries. But these precise statements were speedily Museum of Neuchatel did not contain a single objectfrom his excavations, and the horn objects which hadbeen left for examination were returned to the director of the St. G
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