It seems that Eliseo Gil took the phrase “fake it until you make it” a little too literally, as it has been revealed the archaeologist forged almost ten per cent of his finds.
Gil, whose finds stunned the archaeological world, has now been jailed for almost three years for falsifying artefacts. The archaeologist, whose finds included one of the earliest representations of the crucifixion, was also believed to have found proof that the written Basque language was centuries older than previously believed, which caused him to proclaim he would “rewrite the history books”.
Suspicion was aroused at first, when some of Gil’s finds were found to contain traces of modern glue. References to gods that did not exist, and to the 17th century philosopher René Descartes also aroused suspicion.
The excavation, which took place in 2006, was drawn into question at the time by Martín Almagro, a Madrid based professor of prehistory, who said: “They’re either a joke or a fraud. How has something like this been taken seriously for so long?”
A court in Vitoria found Gil guilty of keeping false records and falsifying finds this Wednesday. It ruled that the finds were modified “with contemporary incisions that were intended to suggest they contained inscriptions or markings of the same age as the objects themselves, and that they possessed a historical and cultural value of which they were devoid”.
Gil is unlikely to serve his sentence, as sentences of this kind are usually suspended if the defendant is without prior convictions. He will, however, have to pay a fine of €12,500.
