YouTuber Insists "The Precision Egyptian Vases are (probably) NOT fakes"

 YouTuber Cosplay-past-explorer and out-and-out clickbait-farmer Luke Caverns characterised as "Toxic Archaeology" my earlier discussion of the pitfalls of trying to use artefacts (in this case Egyptian lathe-turned hardstone vases) as "evidence" of a lost technically advanced ancient civilization (LTAAC). Instead of being a witness to tools and techniques in use in the distant past, the many fakes among them instead reflect the tools and techniques (sometimes impressive) of modern fakers.  Caverns is enamoured of the LTAAC idea and is in denial. Of my commentary, he says: "articles like this from a professional are just unacceptable and it's very juvenile". Huh! In this new video, Caverns basically applies the main antiquities collectors//dealers' argument that, since we know a lot of looting of real sites took place, there is a high chance that large numbers of vessels on the market today are looted authentic artefacts. He also wishes to redate these artefacts deep into the pre-dynastic period

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Posted on You Tube by Luke Caverns 1 July 2024..

It really is a little suggestive of hero-worship of collector Matt Beall:

"I think that Matt is exactly right here , I mean we do have tools from the pre-dynastic Naqada cultures in Egypt but I just don't think that they are sufficient enough (sic) to create something with the measurements that are as precise or exact as these vases are and I personally do not have any suspicion that these are fake. We we see artifacts from all around the Mediterranean world that have no provenance, I mean, the Mediterranean world has been getting looted since ancient times and there are tons of artifacts that show up either on the Antiquities Market or end up in private collections or museums that have no ptovenance but their legitimacy is not really in question.Now I do understand taking artifacts with no Providence and rewriting textbooks based on the findings of those artifacts, I get that, and I can get why that's a major no no in archaeology.... but to attack the people simply studying them or label them as grifters or liars or whatever uh I don't think that that's warranted or called for [...] I think that these are real artifacts and I think that they are evidence for the fact that... well, I mean certainly it's evidence that a lathe existed 2,000 years before we attribute (sic) it to have existed in Egypt. I think that the earliest depiction we have* of the lathe comes from 1300 BC and these pre-dynastic vases date well over 2,000 years before that before 3,300 BC so it's it's pretty amazing..."

 

What has been said about the people that are studying these items and drawing far-reaching (but unwarranted) conclusions is not that they are "liars", but they are misguided and need to apply more rigorious methodology and source criticisms to their research. That's all. That some of them are making YouTube income from making videos about this reserach, having had these things pointed out (or them being easily worked-out), however raises questions.

*Note he goes on teh pictorial evidence, rather than the presence of excavated artefacts showing the use of this tool. Such as for excample lathe-turned stone vases of the fourth dynasty.