Begin with what the object is physically, then test culture, period, authenticity, provenance, and legal status.
- Photograph the whole object, front, back, base, interior, edges, breaks, marks, mounts, labels, and associated documents.
- Record dimensions, weight, material, construction, surface, condition, repairs, seller, location, and every provenance statement exactly.
- Separate observed facts from attribution, family history, dealer language, translation, and collector labels.
- Compare museum objects, excavation reports, typologies, scientific evidence, old catalogs, and lawful collection records.
- State identity, date, origin, authenticity, and legal status only as strongly as the evidence supports.
1. Record without interpretation
Photograph every surface with a scale. Record dimensions, weight, material, construction, color, texture, marks, inscriptions, breaks, joins, fills, coatings, mounts, labels, and packaging. Transcribe text exactly before translating it.
2. Identify material and manufacture
Determine whether the object was wheel-thrown, mold-made, cast, hammered, carved, blown, woven, drilled, engraved, stamped, or assembled. Manufacturing evidence narrows chronology more reliably than a familiar motif.
3. Build competing hypotheses
Write at least three possibilities: the proposed ancient attribution, a neighboring culture or later period, and a modern replica or composite. List what evidence would distinguish them.
4. Research provenance in parallel
Do not wait until after authentication. A credible ancient object with no lawful ownership history can still be an unacceptable acquisition.
Search clearly labeled replicas and reference books
For high-risk cultural material, use the marketplace for clearly labeled replicas, casts, museum-shop objects, and reference books rather than undocumented archaeological pieces.
Search clearly labeled replicas and reference books