Ancient stele turns out to be fake

ISTANBUL

A 2,700-year-old ancient funerary stele that went missing before being found in the yard of an excavation company has turned out to be a fake. 

It was determined that the stone was made out of volcanic pink andesite stone and was covered with a chemical substance to present a historical look. 

The stele was unearthed last year during construction work in the Central Anatolian province of Konya’s Ereğli district before it was alleged to have been sold, only to be discovered on May 3 buried in the garden of a digging company.

Some parts of the stele were broken after it was removed from the ground with a caterpillar. It was also cleaned with a plastic brush without regard for any standard archaeological measures, which received reactions from archaeologists. 

Examinations have shown that the stele was a fake. A five-person expert team from the Konya Museum Directorate reported they could not reach a conclusion that the artifact was authentic. 

“The fake stele was made by taking inspiration from the İvriz Rock Monuments. It was painted with a chemical substance to get a yellowish color like ancient stones,” the experts said in a statement.