Finds that made Basques proud are fake, say experts

Guardian UK ^ | Monday November 24, 2008 | Giles Tremlett

[SunkenCiv]

For traditional Basques the pictures, symbols and words found scraped onto pieces of third century pottery dug up near the town of Nanclares, in northern Spain, included miraculous evidence that their unique language of Euskara was far older than ever thought. Eighteen months ago the dig's director, Eliseo Gil, claimed that some finds at the Roman town known as Veleia were on par with those at Pompeii or Rome itself. Basque nationalists bristled with pride...

Now a committee of experts has revealed those jewels to be fakes... The hunt is on for an archeological fraudster who defaced fragments of third century pottery with fake graffiti... The fakes left the first people to see them swooning...

The words in Euskera, if genuine, would have predated by 700 years the previous earliest known written form of the language. The hieroglyphics caused speculation about the existence of third century Egyptologists who might have created the inscriptions to teach children.

Now experts who have studied the pieces in depth say the fakes, some of which used modern glue, should have rung warning bells immediately. References were found to non-existent gods, 19th-century names and even to the 17th-century philosopher Descartes.

Words in Euskara used impossible spellings. The hieroglyphs included references to Queen Nefertiti which would have been almost impossible to make prior to the 19th century.

Local authorities and sponsors from Basque public companies have poured hundreds of thousands of euros into excavations. Last week they closed the dig temporarily. Eliseo Gil did not return calls from the Guardian but sources said those in charge were not yet fully convinced that their finds were fake.

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

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[mikrofon]

You might say that, for a time, they Basqued in the light of a false heritage...

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Guess their dreams of nationalism will have to wait.

[SunkenCiv]

We think alike.

[SunkenCiv]

I’m fairly sure that’s all that was going on with this in the first place, and that the fakes were part of the overall operation.

> those in charge were not yet fully convinced that their finds were fake

[SunkenCiv]

America B.C.
by Barry Fell
(1976)
find it in a nearby library

A fascinating letter I received from a Shoshone Indian who had been traveling in the Basque country of Spain tells of his recognition of Shoshone words over there, including his own name, whose Shoshone meaning proved to match the meaning attached to a similar word by the modern Basques. Unfortunately I mislaid this interesting letter. If the Shoshone scholar who wrote to me should chance to see these words I hope he will forgive me and contact me again. The modern Basque settlers of Idaho may perhaps bring forth a linguist to investigate matters raised in this chapter. [p 173]

[SunkenCiv]

The stone-age Basque language remains mystery to scientists
Deutsche Presse-Agentur | 01 June 2006 | Sinikka Tarvainen
Posted on 06/01/2006 11:51:18 PM PDT by Marius3188
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1642165/posts

The Relationship Between The Basque And Ainu
High Speed Plus | 1996 | Edo Nyland
Posted on 06/25/2004 3:44:16 PM PDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1160355/posts

[Kevmo]

Don’t put all your Eggs in one Basquet nor all your Basques in one Exit.

[muawiyah]

The issue here was "written basque", not the language itself. It was known by the Celtic invaders of Northern Spain 2700 years ago that the then indigenous locals spoke something different.

Later on when the same Celtic overlords invaded Ireland and took numerous Basque people with them (so many that they swamped the local genome) they made sure the Basque language was totally suppressed and that everyone spoke what became Irish.

[wardaddy]

I’m no big fan of the Basques either way and eschew their methods but there exists today in academia are strong presence of folks who live to squash any nationalistic reference.

Nationalism today is equated with facism.

[Ptarmigan]

Basque has always interested me. I have read the language might be related to Georgian, Chechen Inuit, Navajo, and Apache. It would not surprise me if Welsh and Gaelic has Basque influence. Famous Basques are:
Ignatius of Loyola
Francis Xavier
Simón Bolívar
Evita Peron
Princess Maxmima of Netherlands
Augusto Pinochet
Ernesto “Che” Guevara
Ted Williams
Cristina Saralegui-Cristina on Univision

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 11/28/2008.

• The stone-age Basque language remains mystery to scientists [06/01/2006]

America B.C.
by Barry Fell
(1976)
find it in a nearby library

A fascinating letter I received from a Shoshone Indian who had been traveling in the Basque country of Spain tells of his recognition of Shoshone words over there, including his own name, whose Shoshone meaning proved to match the meaning attached to a similar word by the modern Basques. Unfortunately I mislaid this interesting letter. If the Shoshone scholar who wrote to me should chance to see these words I hope he will forgive me and contact me again. The modern Basque settlers of Idaho may perhaps bring forth a linguist to investigate matters raised in this chapter. [p 173]

[Reily]

I met Barry Fell 30 some years ago at a conference. Interesting guy, I can’t say I buy into all his theories. Some of his Ogam translations seem to be wishful thinking. However the one thing I do agree with is “classical history education” sells ancient short when it comes to their ability to do things like travel! You don’t need Martians to explain what ancient people did. You just have to imagine that Man is very clever even if he’s carrying a stone tipped spear.

And I have both his books!
I think he’s been dead for quite awhile.

[SunkenCiv]

I exchanged a few letters with him back in, hmm the early- to mid-80s, very smart, easy to understand, courteous, and obviously a polymath. Besides his three books (beginning with "America B.C.") he had loads of papers in the ESOP (Epigraphic Society Occasional Publications) that were interesting. He grew up in New Zealand and was welcome among the various indigenous groups, and has indeed been dead a while now.

[Reily]

I subscribed to this “...ESOP (Epigraphic Society Occasional Publications) …” at one time. I may still have an old copy squirreled away somewhere.

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2139616/posts?page=7#7

[SunkenCiv]

• Spanish archaeologist sentenced for faking Basque finds [Thu 11 Jun 2020]
• North American Basque Organizations: Euskara: The Basque Language
• Omniglot: Basque (euskara)

[dfwgator]

The Nazis were notorious for faking archaeological discoveries meant to validate their Aryan Master Race theories.

[SunkenCiv]

This is quite a collection of topics from the euskera, euskara, basque, and basques keywords, chrono sorted:

• Iberia's Neolithic Farmers Linked to Modern-Day Basques [2015]
• Two Underrated Peoples [2015]
• For Indians, ax marked first chapter of disaster [2012]
• Welsh people could be most ancient in UK, DNA suggests [2012]
• 'Extraordinary' genetic make-up of north-east Wales men [2011]
• Finds that made Basques proud are fake, say experts [2008]
• In Search Of The Lost Sahara [2008]
• AQncient DNA: Reconstruction Of The Biological History Of Aldaieta Necropolis (Basque) [2008]
• Myths Of British Ancestry [2007]
• A United Kingdom? Maybe [2007]
• Basques Were Fishermen More Than 8,000 Years Ago [2006]
• Third Century Roman Inscriptions Discovered In Basque Country [2006]
• The stone-age Basque language remains mystery to scientists [2006]
• Basque Country horses [2006]
• Jewel Of The Magalenian Period (15,500 YO Necklace/Pendants, Basque Country) [2005]
• Basques [2004]
• Burushaski [2004]
• Split Between English and Scots Older Than Thought [2004]
• The Relationship Between The Basque And Ainu [2004]
• A Biological Dig for the Roots of Language [2004]
• Tests Reveal Amesbury Archer "King Of Stonehenge' Was A Settler From The Alps [2004]
• Norse Stone Authenticity Put To Test (Kensington Runestone) [2003]
• 1,500 years for Basque bombers [That's a mighty long time....] [2003]
• Y Chromosomes Rewrite British History [2003]
• Y Chromosomes Sketch New Outline of British History [2003]
• Unearthed, The Prince Of Stonehenge [2002]
• English And Welsh Are Races Apart [2002]