Vorkosigan

I don't know. We had an email exchange about you. I told her you were not involved in the organized campaign to discredit her, but she didn't believe me. But by then, after numerous attacks on her scholarship, her person, and her computers, she wasn't in the mood to believe anyone.

I didn't say it was OK. It was understandable, after the shit she went through. And certainly she has never prevaricated like Shanks, or sold her integrity for six figures, like Witherington.

Rochelle was dead on about it. A cheap fake she called it, and she was right. That's what the IAA said too. Rochelle got some of the details wrong, no question, but in the main, she was right.

Yes, they twisted fresh engraving marks, baked on patina, and different microfossils.

The reason my confidence seems absurd is because you are -- it must be said -- absolutely clueless about how to understand and evaluate this artifact, and archaeological fraud in general. You have demonstrated this cluelessness throughout this, clinging to experts who are useless, and refusing to read the works I recommended or think about it in the right way. For example, you keep returning to epigraphy even though it cannot demonstrate authenticity. I knew it was a modern fraud as soon as I became aware that the IGS had given it its imprimatur without performing any relevant tests. You should have too.

It's been headed that way since day one. As many of us have pointed out, and you yourself are a prime example of the believer who is simply never going to give this thing up. Years from now, you'll still be muttering darkly about this thing. Sad.

Oh, you're a real man, Haran. I am sure, though, that somehow they will survive your critical examination.

Which part do you think they made up? Can you supply actual evidence for your claims?

This from a man who is so faith-committed to a fraud he can't just say simply "I was wrong." Why don't you just say that? The gloating was engendered by your incredibly ignorant and obtuse attitude. Frankly I can't believe I ever defended you to Rochelle and others. I feel embarrassed by that....I've totally lost respect for you, Haran.... I can't believe that you still think there is any credibility to any object that has a bogus inscription from multiple sources, has fake patina like fake patina on another known fraud, is owned by a man who owns other frauds and who has a forgery workshop in a spare warehouse, is a proven liar, is under investigation by the police, etc, etc, etc. When are you going to come back to reality here? It's a fraud.

Vorkosigan

Sauron

Not kidding at all.

Provide the link, Haran. If you critiqued it, then it should be child's play to provide a chronologically valid link to such an article.

Otherwise, you're just blowing smoke.

Sauron

Yeah?

WHy don't you go ahead and check their credit history too, while you're at it?

See if you can find out their reading lists at the public library, or what they've rented from Blockbuster Video - never know what that might turn up.

With a little digging, you might even be able to find out if they are, or ever were, members of the Communist party. That could be useful info.


Haran, the artifacts are frauds. They were sketchy from day one - everybody knew that. Now the best available minds with the key expertise have weighed in, and their conclusion is unanimous. You do know what "unanimous" means, don't you? NOBODY on EITHER of the two sub-committees voted in favor of authenticity. If the committees were split, or if there was a majority opinion and a minority opinion, then your continued refusal to accept the findings might have some respectability. But their conclusions were UNANIMOUS.

Diligence is one thing. Being a sore loser is another. Your actions clearly fall into the latter category, not the former.

And your credibility and any reputation for objectivity are both damaged by it.