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Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:00,761 --> 00:00:02,352 (dramatic music) 2 00:00:02,361 --> 00:00:05,152 Mastrelli: This face turned an all but forgotten woman 3 00:00:05,161 --> 00:00:06,839 Into a global icon. 4 00:00:08,121 --> 00:00:13,119 She is nefertiti, revolutionary, queen of egypt. 5 00:00:14,361 --> 00:00:18,279 But what if her modern reputation is built on a lie? 6 00:00:20,274 --> 00:00:24,719 Could the nefertiti bust be a stunning, sensational fake? 7 00:00:27,481 --> 00:00:31,392 For centuries the mysteries of the past 8 00:00:31,401 --> 00:00:34,279 Have kept their secrets, 9 00:00:34,354 --> 00:00:39,319 But there are clues cast in gold, etched in stone, 10 00:00:40,921 --> 00:00:44,039 Written in blood. (yelling) 11 00:00:45,961 --> 00:00:48,159 We can unlock them. 12 00:01:05,954 --> 00:01:08,999 Along with the pyramids, the face of tutankhamen, 13 00:01:11,234 --> 00:01:14,832 And the sphinx, the head of nefertiti, 14 00:01:14,841 --> 00:01:17,232 Resplendent in its blue crown, 15 00:01:17,241 --> 00:01:19,799 Is one of egypt's defining symbols. 16 00:01:21,314 --> 00:01:22,919 This is the hope diamond. 17 00:01:23,954 --> 00:01:27,559 At 45.52 carats, it's some serious bling. 18 00:01:29,481 --> 00:01:32,199 Except it's not, it's a fake. 19 00:01:32,274 --> 00:01:34,199 The real one is in the smithsonian. 20 00:01:34,274 --> 00:01:37,479 These white gloves make it seem pretty authentic though. 21 00:01:37,554 --> 00:01:39,319 And if you were tricked, 22 00:01:39,394 --> 00:01:41,399 It certainly wouldn't be the first time someone misjudged 23 00:01:41,474 --> 00:01:44,119 A seemingly priceless artifact. 24 00:01:44,194 --> 00:01:45,719 Back in the 20th century, 25 00:01:45,794 --> 00:01:48,352 The appetite for exotic antiques enabled a market 26 00:01:48,361 --> 00:01:49,959 Where even the smartest experts 27 00:01:50,034 --> 00:01:53,119 And finest museums weren't immune to being duped. 28 00:01:54,041 --> 00:01:55,399 Is that what happened when curators, 29 00:01:55,474 --> 00:01:57,072 Hungry for new discoveries, 30 00:01:57,081 --> 00:01:59,719 Came face to face with a forgotten egyptian queen? 31 00:02:01,714 --> 00:02:05,519 Berlin, germany, the neues museum, 32 00:02:06,601 --> 00:02:08,999 Where a single object stands alone. 33 00:02:11,161 --> 00:02:14,319 It is the blue crowned bust of an egyptian queen. 34 00:02:18,434 --> 00:02:20,439 Carved from a block of limestone, 35 00:02:21,474 --> 00:02:25,199 Smoothed with plaster, richly painted, 36 00:02:26,281 --> 00:02:30,272 Its image has become one of the most recognizable on earth, 37 00:02:30,281 --> 00:02:32,719 Reproduced countless times. 38 00:02:34,594 --> 00:02:37,839 Wherever it's displayed it's big box office. 39 00:02:38,994 --> 00:02:40,279 Seyfried: We have between 40 00:02:40,354 --> 00:02:43,392 800,000 and one million visitors a year, 41 00:02:43,401 --> 00:02:45,279 Looking at the famous bust. 42 00:02:47,314 --> 00:02:50,679 The painted bust of nefertiti is really 43 00:02:50,754 --> 00:02:53,479 A masterpiece of egyptian art. 44 00:02:54,601 --> 00:02:56,439 Mastrelli: But it's more than that. 45 00:02:56,514 --> 00:02:58,992 Without this bust, the name nefertiti 46 00:02:59,001 --> 00:03:00,999 Would be known only to scholars. 47 00:03:02,441 --> 00:03:03,792 While tutankhamen is famous 48 00:03:03,801 --> 00:03:06,592 Because his tomb was found intact, 49 00:03:06,601 --> 00:03:11,599 With nefertiti there is no tomb, no gold, no rich burial. 50 00:03:13,314 --> 00:03:15,552 The fact this sculpture has survived 51 00:03:15,561 --> 00:03:18,672 Is in and of itself a miracle. 52 00:03:18,681 --> 00:03:20,999 So who was the real -life nefertiti? 53 00:03:22,681 --> 00:03:24,759 Nefertiti was the great royal wife 54 00:03:24,834 --> 00:03:26,719 Of controversial pharaoh akhenaten 55 00:03:27,634 --> 00:03:30,439 Who shook up egypt in the 14th century bce. 56 00:03:31,961 --> 00:03:35,712 For 17 years, he upended egyptian religious beliefs, 57 00:03:35,721 --> 00:03:38,272 Abandoning the tradition of multiple gods 58 00:03:38,281 --> 00:03:42,239 To worship just one, the sun, or aten. 59 00:03:43,801 --> 00:03:45,792 To mark this break with the past, 60 00:03:45,801 --> 00:03:47,959 He uprooted the royal centers of power 61 00:03:48,034 --> 00:03:49,439 In memphis and thebes, 62 00:03:50,354 --> 00:03:53,439 Moving to a new capital in the desert, amarna. 63 00:03:56,434 --> 00:04:00,832 After 17 years on the throne, akhenaten died. 64 00:04:00,841 --> 00:04:03,872 There was nobody to uphold his revolution. 65 00:04:03,881 --> 00:04:06,679 The people of egypt abandoned his religion 66 00:04:06,754 --> 00:04:08,599 And his capital city in the desert, 67 00:04:10,274 --> 00:04:14,199 And akhenaten and nefertiti were branded as heretics. 68 00:04:15,561 --> 00:04:18,119 Gangs were commissioned by the new royal court 69 00:04:18,194 --> 00:04:21,552 To seek out images of akhenaten and nefertiti 70 00:04:21,561 --> 00:04:25,679 And then destroy them, to erase them from history. 71 00:04:27,314 --> 00:04:30,832 But on December 12th, 1912, while excavating 72 00:04:30,841 --> 00:04:33,079 In an area of ancient amarna, 73 00:04:33,154 --> 00:04:35,799 German archeologist ludwig borchardt 74 00:04:35,874 --> 00:04:38,119 Made a stunning discovery. 75 00:04:38,194 --> 00:04:40,359 When the find was announced to the world, 76 00:04:40,434 --> 00:04:43,079 It revived the memory of a queen, 77 00:04:43,154 --> 00:04:45,839 All but forgotten for 3000 years. 78 00:04:46,834 --> 00:04:48,599 This moment would define 79 00:04:48,674 --> 00:04:52,519 How both borchardt and nefertiti are remembered. 80 00:04:52,594 --> 00:04:54,352 (intriguing music) 81 00:04:54,361 --> 00:04:56,639 And this is where the modern story of nefertiti begins. 82 00:04:57,961 --> 00:04:59,632 There are many unanswered questions 83 00:04:59,641 --> 00:05:01,839 Since the discovery of the bust in 1912. 84 00:05:04,921 --> 00:05:06,719 Is this really what she looked like? 85 00:05:07,881 --> 00:05:11,319 How could the bust have survived, almost pristine, 86 00:05:11,394 --> 00:05:13,279 For more than 3000 years? 87 00:05:15,801 --> 00:05:18,352 The paints are all made from materials commonly 88 00:05:18,361 --> 00:05:20,359 Found in the desert landscape. 89 00:05:21,801 --> 00:05:25,959 It's the fact they've endured that makes them so remarkable. 90 00:05:26,034 --> 00:05:30,992 Simon: There is no real parallel comparative object 91 00:05:31,001 --> 00:05:33,879 In that state of preservation, she's so unique. 92 00:05:35,481 --> 00:05:37,232 Mastrelli: So what can modern science tell us 93 00:05:37,241 --> 00:05:38,439 About this sculpture? 94 00:05:39,561 --> 00:05:44,559 A ct scan reveals a solid rock core, made from limestone, 95 00:05:44,834 --> 00:05:47,319 That is wrapped in layers of plaster material, 96 00:05:47,394 --> 00:05:51,239 Known as stucco, and it's the stucco that forms 97 00:05:51,314 --> 00:05:54,512 The more intricate features, like the ears. 98 00:05:54,521 --> 00:05:57,639 This layering is very rare in egyptian art. 99 00:06:01,321 --> 00:06:04,599 In her lifetime, nefertiti became the embodiment 100 00:06:04,674 --> 00:06:08,112 Of beauty and 3000 years later, 101 00:06:08,121 --> 00:06:11,359 Thanks to the bust, the same thing happened again. 102 00:06:13,394 --> 00:06:17,232 But did the sculptor really carve a realistic portrait? 103 00:06:17,241 --> 00:06:18,359 Laboury: She's absolutely perfect, 104 00:06:18,434 --> 00:06:20,192 She's absolutely symmetrical, 105 00:06:20,201 --> 00:06:24,479 With not a single default, she's flawless. 106 00:06:25,714 --> 00:06:28,039 Mastrelli: Egyptologist dimitri laboury 107 00:06:28,114 --> 00:06:31,799 Believes he's pieced together the method the sculptor used. 108 00:06:33,081 --> 00:06:36,559 It's a process that's part science as well as art. 109 00:06:40,354 --> 00:06:43,799 We know from traces on other ancient egyptian artworks 110 00:06:43,874 --> 00:06:47,399 That sculptors used a grid system to rough out their ideas, 111 00:06:49,241 --> 00:06:51,232 A simple but ingenious method 112 00:06:51,241 --> 00:06:54,319 For turning a flat image into a 3d object. 113 00:06:57,714 --> 00:07:01,472 Every sculpture started with horizontal and vertical lines, 114 00:07:01,481 --> 00:07:04,439 Drawn onto the front and side of a stone block. 115 00:07:05,641 --> 00:07:07,079 Laboury: And to produce that kind of grid, 116 00:07:07,154 --> 00:07:09,712 They had rulers with measurement units 117 00:07:09,721 --> 00:07:12,592 And equal distance between each line. 118 00:07:12,601 --> 00:07:14,752 This is the technique that they were using 119 00:07:14,761 --> 00:07:17,559 From the very beginning of ancient egyptian sculpture. 120 00:07:19,401 --> 00:07:22,439 Mastrelli: This way, when he came to draw a guide outline 121 00:07:22,514 --> 00:07:27,079 Onto the block, a sculptor could preserve perfect symmetry, 122 00:07:27,154 --> 00:07:28,919 He wouldn't have to judge it by eye. 123 00:07:32,201 --> 00:07:35,319 But when a scholar named rolf krauss worked out the grid 124 00:07:35,394 --> 00:07:38,352 And the outline which produced the nefertiti bust, 125 00:07:38,361 --> 00:07:40,919 He made a startling discovery. 126 00:07:40,994 --> 00:07:44,919 Laboury: He reproduced a grid on each side of the block 127 00:07:45,794 --> 00:07:49,399 To recreate the design of this bust. 128 00:07:51,154 --> 00:07:54,192 Mastrelli: The relationship between the grid and the face 129 00:07:54,201 --> 00:07:57,319 Suggests that there's some sort of formula at work. 130 00:07:57,394 --> 00:08:00,752 Laboury: All the features of the face of nefertiti 131 00:08:00,761 --> 00:08:05,639 Just fit on a line or at the crossroad of two lines. 132 00:08:05,714 --> 00:08:09,392 Every feature fits on a line like the bottom line 133 00:08:09,401 --> 00:08:12,119 That defines the positioning of the eyes, 134 00:08:12,194 --> 00:08:16,719 The base of the nose, the junction between the two lips. 135 00:08:19,401 --> 00:08:22,759 Mastrelli: In statistical terms, it's virtually impossible 136 00:08:22,834 --> 00:08:27,152 That any real face would fit so perfectly into this grid. 137 00:08:27,161 --> 00:08:29,792 If this image bears any resemblance at all 138 00:08:29,801 --> 00:08:33,479 To the real nefertiti, it's heavily stylized, 139 00:08:33,554 --> 00:08:36,879 The ancient egyptian equivalent of a retouched photo. 140 00:08:38,994 --> 00:08:41,159 Laboury: She's absolutely too perfect 141 00:08:41,234 --> 00:08:46,199 To be a rendering of the actual face of nefertiti. 142 00:08:46,921 --> 00:08:48,992 Mastrelli: Nefertiti may not have been as perfect 143 00:08:49,001 --> 00:08:51,399 In real life as her iconic bust, 144 00:08:51,474 --> 00:08:54,512 And unfortunately a closer look at its discovery 145 00:08:54,521 --> 00:08:57,439 May also prove a little too good to be true. 146 00:09:03,001 --> 00:09:05,792 The nefertiti bust has long puzzled experts 147 00:09:05,801 --> 00:09:08,512 And some have even questioned its authenticity. 148 00:09:08,521 --> 00:09:11,719 The main reason, its miraculously pristine condition. 149 00:09:11,794 --> 00:09:14,672 It certainly doesn't look 3000 years old. 150 00:09:14,681 --> 00:09:16,919 While it was definitely discovered in amarna, 151 00:09:16,994 --> 00:09:20,799 The circumstances surrounding that day seem a little fishy. 152 00:09:22,514 --> 00:09:26,752 There are photographs taken on December 6th, 1912, 153 00:09:26,761 --> 00:09:28,272 The day the bust was found 154 00:09:28,281 --> 00:09:31,552 By german archeologist ludwig borchardt. 155 00:09:31,561 --> 00:09:34,192 At first glance they appear simply 156 00:09:34,201 --> 00:09:37,632 To document borchardt's incredible find. 157 00:09:37,641 --> 00:09:40,112 But after examining them more closely, 158 00:09:40,121 --> 00:09:44,279 Egyptologist christian loeben reads them differently. 159 00:09:44,354 --> 00:09:47,559 The photographs were taken by a visiting dignitary, 160 00:09:47,634 --> 00:09:49,919 Prince johann george of saxony. 161 00:09:51,401 --> 00:09:53,872 The single day that he spent at amarna 162 00:09:53,881 --> 00:09:57,799 Just happened to be the day when the bust was discovered. 163 00:09:57,874 --> 00:10:01,719 Loeben: I think the bust has been found somewhere else 164 00:10:01,794 --> 00:10:04,912 And for the occasion brought to the find spot 165 00:10:04,921 --> 00:10:06,992 Where it was discovered by borchardt 166 00:10:07,001 --> 00:10:10,839 And in the presence of these royal people. 167 00:10:14,201 --> 00:10:15,632 Mastrelli: Loeben has uncovered a letter 168 00:10:15,641 --> 00:10:18,272 That borchardt wrote to his wife, 169 00:10:18,281 --> 00:10:21,632 And it appears to support his suspicions. 170 00:10:21,641 --> 00:10:25,232 Loeben: He writes a little poem which goes as follows. 171 00:10:25,241 --> 00:10:29,159 (speaking in foreign language) 172 00:10:33,314 --> 00:10:35,152 Which is in english something like, 173 00:10:35,161 --> 00:10:38,672 If you find something, take it into the house immediately 174 00:10:38,681 --> 00:10:40,519 Where it's safe and secure. 175 00:10:40,594 --> 00:10:43,472 However, when a prince is approaching, 176 00:10:43,481 --> 00:10:45,839 Make sure you only find it tomorrow. 177 00:10:47,234 --> 00:10:49,079 Mastrelli: At berlin's neues museum, 178 00:10:49,154 --> 00:10:51,559 Where the bust is the star attraction, 179 00:10:51,634 --> 00:10:54,992 Any suggestion that borchardt was less than honest 180 00:10:55,001 --> 00:10:58,639 Or that he stage-managed the discovery is unpopular. 181 00:10:59,874 --> 00:11:02,919 Seyfried: Of course it is really sensational 182 00:11:02,994 --> 00:11:05,959 That you have royal visitors and then the day 183 00:11:06,034 --> 00:11:08,832 When you find the most important, 184 00:11:08,841 --> 00:11:12,199 Maybe the most important things of the whole campaign, 185 00:11:12,274 --> 00:11:16,719 But that's, yeah, fortune, that's, yeah, fate. 186 00:11:18,441 --> 00:11:19,552 (shutter clicks) 187 00:11:19,561 --> 00:11:21,479 It was not arranged, no never. 188 00:11:22,601 --> 00:11:25,239 Mastrelli: But the debate doesn't end there. 189 00:11:25,314 --> 00:11:28,352 There are those who would go even further in questioning, 190 00:11:28,361 --> 00:11:30,919 Not only the manner of the discovery, 191 00:11:30,994 --> 00:11:34,279 But also whether it is in fact ancient at all. 192 00:11:35,634 --> 00:11:38,679 One man believes that the nefertiti bust 193 00:11:38,754 --> 00:11:40,759 Is a 20th century fake. 194 00:11:41,801 --> 00:11:44,399 Greenhalgh: It's supposed to be the work of a master sculptor, 195 00:11:45,314 --> 00:11:47,639 But the technique says otherwise. 196 00:11:47,714 --> 00:11:50,679 Mastrelli: Shaun greenhalgh knows fakery. 197 00:11:50,754 --> 00:11:54,119 In 2007 he sold this amarna statue 198 00:11:54,194 --> 00:11:57,712 To a uk museum for a six figure sum. 199 00:11:57,721 --> 00:12:01,872 What he didn't reveal was that he'd made it himself. 200 00:12:01,881 --> 00:12:04,592 Greenhalgh is a convicted forger, 201 00:12:04,601 --> 00:12:07,399 His work has fooled experts around the world. 202 00:12:08,434 --> 00:12:11,152 For greenhalgh, what gives the game away 203 00:12:11,161 --> 00:12:13,392 Is the layer of stucco plaster 204 00:12:13,401 --> 00:12:15,552 That covers the limestone core 205 00:12:15,561 --> 00:12:18,399 And forms the bust's most intricate features. 206 00:12:19,881 --> 00:12:21,399 Greenhalgh: That's the work of, if not an amateur, 207 00:12:21,474 --> 00:12:24,192 Then a second or third-rate sculptor 208 00:12:24,201 --> 00:12:26,272 And none of those would work for the pharaoh, 209 00:12:26,281 --> 00:12:27,479 He'd only have the best. 210 00:12:30,034 --> 00:12:32,672 That'd be like finding a michelangelo sculpture 211 00:12:32,681 --> 00:12:35,639 In marble and then you find out that the ears, the eyes, 212 00:12:35,714 --> 00:12:37,399 All the hands, the difficult parts, 213 00:12:37,474 --> 00:12:39,872 Are all made in stucco and added on, 214 00:12:39,881 --> 00:12:41,639 It just wouldn't be done. 215 00:12:41,714 --> 00:12:43,712 The damage on it is the major point 216 00:12:43,721 --> 00:12:46,352 Of it being a later copy. 217 00:12:46,361 --> 00:12:49,399 It's something I've done myself, I've seen on other fakes. 218 00:12:51,314 --> 00:12:53,919 It's quite obvious if you look at where it's damaged. 219 00:12:55,714 --> 00:12:57,399 The ears are damaged, 220 00:12:57,474 --> 00:12:59,639 So obviously its been dropped left and right sides. 221 00:12:59,714 --> 00:13:02,752 The back of the head has been damaged, and most telling, 222 00:13:02,761 --> 00:13:06,999 The cobra on the conical cap is almost obliterated. 223 00:13:09,314 --> 00:13:12,279 To remove it, it would have taken off the nose, 224 00:13:12,354 --> 00:13:14,119 The brow ridges and the chin, 225 00:13:14,194 --> 00:13:16,159 There's absolutely no damage to the face. 226 00:13:18,194 --> 00:13:21,799 The damage is selective and that's a dead ringer for a fake. 227 00:13:23,394 --> 00:13:25,559 Mastrelli: Another indication this could be a fake 228 00:13:25,634 --> 00:13:28,599 Is nefertiti's missing eye. 229 00:13:28,674 --> 00:13:32,112 The left socket is empty while the right eye is made 230 00:13:32,121 --> 00:13:36,039 From an inlay of black wax and rock crystal. 231 00:13:36,114 --> 00:13:40,199 Greenhalgh believes that the right eye is genuinely ancient, 232 00:13:40,274 --> 00:13:43,152 Sourced to make the bust look real. 233 00:13:43,161 --> 00:13:44,672 Greenhalgh: It's a major pointer to its fakery 234 00:13:44,681 --> 00:13:47,239 Because it's the kind of thing I've done myself, 235 00:13:47,314 --> 00:13:51,079 Sourcing beads or pearls or whatever for in a piece. 236 00:13:51,154 --> 00:13:53,232 Mastrelli: Borchardt searched the area 237 00:13:53,241 --> 00:13:55,232 Where the bust was discovered, 238 00:13:55,241 --> 00:13:57,479 Offering a cash reward to anyone 239 00:13:57,554 --> 00:13:59,799 Who could find the missing eye. 240 00:13:59,874 --> 00:14:01,312 It was never found 241 00:14:01,321 --> 00:14:04,359 And greenhalgh believes it never existed. 242 00:14:04,434 --> 00:14:07,632 Greenhalgh: It would be possible to source a quartzite eye, 243 00:14:07,641 --> 00:14:11,079 But to find a pair, well that be would very long odds. 244 00:14:12,434 --> 00:14:15,159 Mastrelli: Greenhalgh argues this is the only way 245 00:14:15,234 --> 00:14:17,152 To explain the empty socket. 246 00:14:17,161 --> 00:14:21,392 To ancient egyptians, the eyes were a window to the soul. 247 00:14:21,401 --> 00:14:24,039 So representing the queen with one eye missing 248 00:14:24,114 --> 00:14:26,439 Would be a shocking sign of disrespect. 249 00:14:27,721 --> 00:14:30,279 Finally, greenhalgh thinks he knows 250 00:14:30,354 --> 00:14:34,119 Why the forger picked nefertiti and the amarna period. 251 00:14:34,194 --> 00:14:35,392 Greenhalgh: If you're gonna pick a period 252 00:14:35,401 --> 00:14:37,879 Of egyptian art to fake, 253 00:14:37,954 --> 00:14:40,272 The amarna period is really the best 254 00:14:40,281 --> 00:14:44,359 Because the sculpture wasn't any more difficult 255 00:14:44,434 --> 00:14:46,039 Than any other period, 256 00:14:46,114 --> 00:14:48,912 But it is the most valuable today to collectors. 257 00:14:48,921 --> 00:14:50,592 Mastrelli: Even though the discovery 258 00:14:50,601 --> 00:14:53,632 Of nefertiti's bust seems strangely fortuitous, 259 00:14:53,641 --> 00:14:57,079 Could this iconic sculpture really be a fake? 260 00:14:57,154 --> 00:14:59,712 If so, this actually wouldn't be the only time 261 00:14:59,721 --> 00:15:02,559 Borchardt had been connected with a forgery. 262 00:15:03,801 --> 00:15:06,912 Experts are expressing concerns over the discovery 263 00:15:06,921 --> 00:15:11,479 And authenticity of the iconic bust of nefertiti. 264 00:15:11,554 --> 00:15:13,632 Could it be that ludwig borchardt, 265 00:15:13,641 --> 00:15:16,272 Germany's most celebrated archeologist, 266 00:15:16,281 --> 00:15:19,479 Was duped by, or worse still, took part in, 267 00:15:19,554 --> 00:15:21,919 The greatest art fraud of all time? 268 00:15:22,994 --> 00:15:26,279 At the August kesner museum in hanover, christian loeben 269 00:15:26,354 --> 00:15:29,879 Is uncovering further reason to mistrust borchardt. 270 00:15:35,554 --> 00:15:37,239 In a storeroom, he's looking 271 00:15:37,314 --> 00:15:39,239 For an ancient egyptian sculpture 272 00:15:39,314 --> 00:15:41,119 That is no longer on display. 273 00:15:44,201 --> 00:15:48,359 It was bought by the museum in 1926. 274 00:15:48,434 --> 00:15:51,719 Loeben: It represents a young man with a happy vague, 275 00:15:53,234 --> 00:15:57,152 Really nice piece of the 12th dynasty, 276 00:15:57,161 --> 00:15:59,159 Which is approximately 2000 bc. 277 00:16:00,834 --> 00:16:02,672 Mastrelli: The documentation that comes with it 278 00:16:02,681 --> 00:16:05,159 Clearly identifies the seller 279 00:16:05,234 --> 00:16:07,999 As none other than ludwig borchardt. 280 00:16:09,794 --> 00:16:11,799 Loeben: It says, borchardt, cairo 281 00:16:11,874 --> 00:16:17,639 In 1926, for 2,550 piasters. 282 00:16:18,521 --> 00:16:22,672 To sell things onto museums was certainly something 283 00:16:22,681 --> 00:16:26,199 Which not every archeologist would have done. 284 00:16:26,274 --> 00:16:28,119 Mastrelli: But borchardt's prominent reputation 285 00:16:28,194 --> 00:16:31,552 As an archeologist meant there was no reason 286 00:16:31,561 --> 00:16:34,672 To doubt the authenticity of his goods. 287 00:16:34,681 --> 00:16:37,152 Loeben: A lot of people were relying on borchardt 288 00:16:37,161 --> 00:16:40,759 To get beautiful objects for them on the cairo market. 289 00:16:41,954 --> 00:16:43,959 Mastrelli: But just four years later, 290 00:16:44,034 --> 00:16:46,479 Borchardt made an incredible admission. 291 00:16:47,481 --> 00:16:50,199 Loeben: Borchardt himself published an article 292 00:16:50,274 --> 00:16:54,359 Including this object, in which he states that it is a fake. 293 00:16:55,321 --> 00:16:57,152 The museum was not very happy 294 00:16:57,161 --> 00:17:00,359 To learn that it had bought a fake. 295 00:17:00,434 --> 00:17:02,119 Mastrelli: Either borchardt had been complicit 296 00:17:02,194 --> 00:17:04,272 In the sale of a forged object, 297 00:17:04,281 --> 00:17:06,672 Or he himself had been fooled. 298 00:17:06,681 --> 00:17:08,519 Loeben: It's quite a good fake, 299 00:17:08,594 --> 00:17:11,392 Only for knowledgeable egyptologists 300 00:17:11,401 --> 00:17:14,199 Who have really looked at a lot of egyptian art 301 00:17:14,274 --> 00:17:19,079 And also at forgeries would really say that it is a fake. 302 00:17:19,154 --> 00:17:20,679 Mastrelli: A history of selling fakes 303 00:17:20,754 --> 00:17:23,599 Should bring borchardt's credibility into question, 304 00:17:24,441 --> 00:17:27,072 But does it mean that we need to think differently 305 00:17:27,081 --> 00:17:29,479 About the nefertiti bust? 306 00:17:29,554 --> 00:17:33,392 Professor stefan simon is a leading conservation scientist 307 00:17:33,401 --> 00:17:37,152 And the director of the rathgen research lab in berlin. 308 00:17:37,161 --> 00:17:40,272 He preserves historical artifacts, 309 00:17:40,281 --> 00:17:43,039 But also knows how to spot a forgery. 310 00:17:44,761 --> 00:17:48,919 Simon: As a conservation scientist, I see chemical faces, 311 00:17:48,994 --> 00:17:51,879 I look at the process of how an object was made. 312 00:17:51,954 --> 00:17:54,512 What was the first, the second, the third layer? 313 00:17:54,521 --> 00:17:56,359 It's important to take a close look. 314 00:17:57,561 --> 00:17:58,912 Mastrelli: For a long time, 315 00:17:58,921 --> 00:18:00,679 Simon's investigations were restricted 316 00:18:00,754 --> 00:18:04,199 By the fact that the bust is so fragile and so valuable. 317 00:18:05,394 --> 00:18:07,239 The destructive testing normally used 318 00:18:07,314 --> 00:18:10,839 To establish the age of an artifact was not an option. 319 00:18:12,514 --> 00:18:15,312 But when a tiny fragment of paint was dislodged 320 00:18:15,321 --> 00:18:17,319 While the bust was in transit, 321 00:18:17,394 --> 00:18:21,119 Simon seized the opportunity to examine its chemical makeup. 322 00:18:22,114 --> 00:18:25,952 Simon: Today we're taking a look at a tiny flake of paint 323 00:18:25,961 --> 00:18:28,759 Off decorated surface which fell off the bust. 324 00:18:28,834 --> 00:18:31,152 We were looking at its chemical composition, 325 00:18:31,161 --> 00:18:34,352 At the ground layer, how it was prepared before painting, 326 00:18:34,361 --> 00:18:37,399 Also at the texture, what is the grain size distribution. 327 00:18:38,281 --> 00:18:39,792 Mastrelli: Under the microscope, 328 00:18:39,801 --> 00:18:42,759 The paint sample is magnified 800 times, 329 00:18:42,834 --> 00:18:45,552 Giving stefan simon a unique insight 330 00:18:45,561 --> 00:18:47,232 Into its chemical structure. 331 00:18:47,241 --> 00:18:49,639 Simon: We are searching for hints and indications 332 00:18:49,714 --> 00:18:52,432 Which are contradicting authenticity. 333 00:18:52,441 --> 00:18:56,432 We're looking for materials which were not used 334 00:18:56,441 --> 00:18:59,079 At the time they were supposed to be used. 335 00:18:59,954 --> 00:19:02,039 Mastrelli: The analysis reveals why the colors 336 00:19:02,114 --> 00:19:04,319 Have not dulled after so many years. 337 00:19:06,194 --> 00:19:09,479 Simon: Most of the colors are very, very strong 338 00:19:09,554 --> 00:19:12,512 And stable inorganic pigments. 339 00:19:12,521 --> 00:19:14,672 Mastrelli: The chemical composition of these pigments 340 00:19:14,681 --> 00:19:17,079 Means that no matter how long they were left, 341 00:19:17,154 --> 00:19:18,799 The colors would remain vivid. 342 00:19:19,881 --> 00:19:24,752 Simon: All these paints are part of the palette 343 00:19:24,761 --> 00:19:27,792 Of the egyptian artists 3000 years ago. 344 00:19:27,801 --> 00:19:30,752 They are to be expected to be there 345 00:19:30,761 --> 00:19:35,239 And they are quite stable, and that's probably the reason 346 00:19:35,314 --> 00:19:37,239 Why they are still in such a pristine condition 347 00:19:37,314 --> 00:19:38,719 After so many years. 348 00:19:40,041 --> 00:19:41,792 Mastrelli: Simon believes that the patterns he sees 349 00:19:41,801 --> 00:19:43,792 On the bust were most likely formed 350 00:19:43,801 --> 00:19:45,519 Over a period of centuries. 351 00:19:46,681 --> 00:19:49,312 Simon: Most important finding was the aging 352 00:19:49,321 --> 00:19:51,792 Over long periods of time, 353 00:19:51,801 --> 00:19:55,152 Changing partly the chemical composition 354 00:19:55,161 --> 00:19:58,112 In processes which are really slow processes, 355 00:19:58,121 --> 00:19:59,952 Which take a long time. 356 00:19:59,961 --> 00:20:03,319 Mastrelli: But is this enough to conclude, with certainty, 357 00:20:03,394 --> 00:20:05,999 That this is an original ancient work? 358 00:20:08,681 --> 00:20:10,439 Simon: You cannot prove that it's an original, 359 00:20:10,514 --> 00:20:15,079 You can prove that's a fake if you find the evidence. 360 00:20:15,154 --> 00:20:17,072 If you find materials which are not consistent 361 00:20:17,081 --> 00:20:19,472 With the time, yeah, 362 00:20:19,481 --> 00:20:23,079 Then you can say well there's a problem, 363 00:20:23,154 --> 00:20:25,959 But if you don't find, you cannot prove. 364 00:20:26,034 --> 00:20:29,552 Mastrelli: The paint on the bust appears to be old enough. 365 00:20:29,561 --> 00:20:31,399 Professor simon is able to rule out 366 00:20:31,474 --> 00:20:33,479 The presence of modern pigments, 367 00:20:33,554 --> 00:20:35,312 But that alone is insufficient 368 00:20:35,321 --> 00:20:38,559 To confirm the overall authenticity of the sculpture. 369 00:20:40,441 --> 00:20:43,799 Simon: Unfortunately, we are not able 370 00:20:43,874 --> 00:20:48,559 To say yes, for 100%, here we have an authentic object. 371 00:20:51,401 --> 00:20:53,632 Mastrelli: The nefertiti bust continues to attract 372 00:20:53,641 --> 00:20:55,559 Up to a million visitors a year, 373 00:20:55,634 --> 00:20:58,759 Despite lingering concerns about its provenance. 374 00:21:00,674 --> 00:21:03,639 Greenhalgh: I don't believe that it's genuine, 375 00:21:03,714 --> 00:21:05,679 It just looks modern. 376 00:21:06,041 --> 00:21:08,432 Loeben: I am 100% sure it's an 377 00:21:08,441 --> 00:21:11,152 Original ancient egyptian object, 378 00:21:11,161 --> 00:21:12,759 But it has not been discovered 379 00:21:12,834 --> 00:21:16,512 Where borchardt says he discovered it. 380 00:21:16,521 --> 00:21:20,592 Seyfried: It is quite sure that she is 381 00:21:20,601 --> 00:21:23,719 A key piece of ancient egyptian art. 382 00:21:25,961 --> 00:21:28,519 Mastrelli: As the debate over the bust of nefertiti grinds on, 383 00:21:28,594 --> 00:21:31,559 Forgeries continue to inundate the art world. 384 00:21:31,634 --> 00:21:33,312 Today european police estimate 385 00:21:33,321 --> 00:21:35,399 That as much as half of the art in circulation 386 00:21:35,474 --> 00:21:37,959 On the international market is fake, 387 00:21:38,034 --> 00:21:41,319 And even renowned fakes have become so prized that they too 388 00:21:41,394 --> 00:21:44,839 Have been purchased for incredible sums of money. 389 00:21:44,914 --> 00:21:47,639 As is the case with this iconic egyptian queen, 390 00:21:47,714 --> 00:21:50,119 It seems the provenance of a work of art 391 00:21:50,194 --> 00:21:54,199 Sometimes matters less than how it captures our imagination. 392 00:21:54,274 --> 00:21:55,872 Kind of like that phrase, 393 00:21:55,881 --> 00:21:58,679 I don't know much about art, but I know what I like. 35321

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