Is the Famous 'Mask of Agamemnon' a Forgery?

It's one of the most beautiful and iconic pieces from the Mycenaean age, but there is some controversy as to whether or not the so-called Mask of Agamemnon is indeed from the late Bronze Age or simply a forgery meant to bolster Heinrich Schliemann's reputation when he oversaw excavations at Mycenae. You decide.

#ancientgreekhistory #bronzeage #greekhistory

[AGS]

If you want to forge something, why forge a mask. A vessel with "soldiers assembling to sail to Troy" would be a far more spectacular object.

[Russo-Delenda-Est]

Surely we can just test the gold's purity and composition?

[loke]

I think it is real. The reason why is that if Schliemann wanted to forge an item connected to the Troyan war in Mycenae I think he would have fixed something that he could "prove" was connected to Agamemnon.

Here, he first claimed the other mask you showed was the one since he found it first, then he found this one and thought it was more impressive so it was the one he showed the Greek king during the press conference.

I don't think that story sounds like he faked the mask, just that he connected his most impressive find to Agamemnon with zero evidence and the finds in the grave was a few centuries off.

As for why this mask was more detailed then the others, I assumed the smith who made it was just better then the ones who made the others.

[dracorex]

I've heard people say they think the mustache is fake and that it's a genuine artifact that has been heavily vandalized.

[greygoregoose]

i constantly say “i have gazed upon the mask of agamemnon” i think that quote is so funny

[katmannsson]

Im so used to Cy's voice playing in the background that this short just played like 6 times while I scrolled facebook and I didnt realize it lmao

[bokrugthewaterserpent]

I would guess he probably really did find it somewhere, but it could be "enhanced" and it definitely didn't belong to Agamemnon

[carriekelly]

Great one Cy❤it is said upon discovering the mask Schiemann exclaimed"I have looked upon the face of Agamemnon!" So yes, pretty sensationalist revelation of the find🙄However I have always thought it was an authentic piece from the bronzeage.

[jpesicka]

We made masks like these of our own faces in school using aluminum foil. Never heard about the real ones of course. We were studying Mesopotamia around the time. We also did wrote cuneiform on clay and cool stuff id appreciate more now

[TheRealBrook]

If so, then the most expensive forgery in history.
In gold, worth approximately $40, 000.

[loganchew]

most iconic is also debatable. ive been to that museum and there are so many other interesting objects there from that same age and location

[brandonc]

The verified masks look like the foil masks I used to make when I was a kid.

[jeremysmith]

I think the chance of a forgery is likely, but does that even matter now? The piece is synonymous with the site and time period and considered a cultural touch stone. That being the case, I simply cannot see where the types of testing to further uncover the possibility won't ever be attempted, or at least not any time soon. The worst case scenario is that the mask was forged from the remnants of other masks, like the one in the display with it, which could make dating even more difficult and also mean Schliemann may have had other actual artifacts destroyed in the crafting of this. It is an interesting idea to consider, but for now all we can do is speculate.

[kpaasial]

Has there been any attempts at doing radiometric dating on the mask? A cursory google search suggests that at least Helium-3 dating should be possible.

[Not-Impressed..]

It is still very simplistic mask. It doesn't take a master to make a mask like this.
So who knows.

[xenosophont]

The Basileus/King's mask being more intricate in detail and craftsmanship is not incongruous with the other masks being more simple in craft/design.

[JustSpectre]

In my opinion it's real, but the topic of forgeries is hot. There are other exquisite finds labelled as potential forgeries such as Disc of Phaistos, Bust of Nefertiti or even whole tomb of king Tutankhamen. Issue is, they are "star artefacts" of museum collections and not allowed to examine or study

[yvonnesmith]

If Schliemann didn’t actually find Troy and needed an artifact to sway the jury….then I would agree! But, his unequivocal find of the city of Troy was spectacular enough that he didn’t need to spend tons of money on a pure gold mask.
Plus, calling the artistic ability of our Bronze Age brethren into question is really not necessary. They were obviously VERY capable of producing very detailed art, no matter the medium.

Schliemann is still getting so much hate….but without him, we might still think Troy to be a legendary fairy tale today

[ellen]

1. Schliemann had access to raw gold because of his gold mines in America. 2. Schliemann was not an archaeologist. 3. Schliemann wanted fame more than anything. 4. Schliemann is known to have forged other gold objects that the "found" when no one else was around on his "digs".

[noahlogue]

Modification definitely sounds likely.