studied to determine the source of a document and its author. Ransom notes
received by the Lindbergh family in 1932 after the kidnapping of their baby
son were identified as having been written by Bruno Hauptmann by
comparisons of his handwriting, and although some controversy still remains
about his guilt, Hauptmann was sent to the electric chair for the crime. The
case of the Hitler Diaries in 1983, when the German magazineSternpublished
excerpts purporting to come from hitherto unknown volumes of the Fuhrer’s
personal record, employed analyses of the ink, paper, handwriting and content
to establish that they were forgeries made by Konrad Kujau for a journalist,
Gerd Heidemann, in order to embezzle money from wellknown publishers.
Kujau went to prison, but on his release he opened a studio from which he
sold‘genuine’Kujau forgeries.^12
Documentary sources provide many problems for archaeologists. The
material may have been written years, even centuries, after the events
described took place. The document itself may be a copy of a copy, with
mistakes that have crept in over time, be in poor condition or have sections
missing. Maps may represent what people intended to design, not what was
actually there. The content may in fact be completely untrue–for a number of
reasons. The original may have been simply a fictional story, or have been
written as propaganda that coloured events to suit the aims of the writer and
his audience, or be based on erroneous hearsay evidence. The police have
similar problems with witness statements.
Much effort has been put into trying to confirm various events recorded in
the Bible– Noah’s Flood, the Exodus, and even the crucifixion. Another
popular topic has been the Trojan War–did it take place or not? Julius Caesar
wrote of his conquest of the Belgic tribes in the 50s BC–yet there is virtually
no archaeological evidence to confirm his claims, nor has any evidence of his
visits to Britain ever been found–so how much of his account is true?
On the other hand, historical accounts may be all we have–many events
leave no archaeological trace behind them. History is most reliable when it is
confirmed by multiple accounts, as well as by physical evidence, but it can be
most enjoyable even when we know there may be a strong element of fiction
in its records. Daniel Defoe enjoyed writing about criminals such as the
famous highwayman Jack Sheppard and is believed by many to have been the
author of a work entitledA General History of the Robberies and Murders of
the most notorious Pyrates,which has become a rather romantic source of
much modern imagination about the sea robbers of the eighteenth century.
Whether by Defoe or not, and whether truthful or not, it became and remains
popular reading!
ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT