Within Mexico Hoaxes
When the Supposed Maya Forgery Proved Genuine
A manuscript long suspected of fraud gained acceptance when pigments, imagery, damage and calendrical details supported its age.
On this page
- Why experts initially doubted the manuscript
- What later testing and comparison established
- What the case teaches about responsible scepticism
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Introduction
The story of the Maya Codex of Mexico, formerly known as the Grolier Codex, is unusual in the history of disputed artefacts. Rather than being exposed as a forgery, it travelled in the opposite direction. For decades many specialists regarded it with suspicion because it appeared under murky circumstances, lacked a secure archaeological excavation record, and looked different from the other surviving Maya books. Yet after years of scientific testing and detailed comparison, a growing scholarly consensus concluded that the manuscript is genuine and may be the oldest surviving book from the Americas. Its history is a valuable reminder that scepticism is essential when dealing with unprovenanced antiquities, but that suspicion alone is not proof of fraud.[brown.edu]brown.eduBrown University13th century Maya codex, long shrouded in controversy…7 Sept 2016 — The codex is both genuine and likely the most anci…
The case belongs naturally within Mexico’s broader history of disputed artefacts because it demonstrates both sides of the authenticity problem: why experts must be cautious about remarkable discoveries and how evidence can eventually overturn long-held doubts.[traffickingculture.org]traffickingculture.orggrolier codexSep 8, 2016 — A Maya codex of questionable authenticity that appeared on the market in 1971. The Grolier Codex (sometimes known as the Sa…
Why Experts Initially Doubted the Manuscript
The codex entered public view in the early 1970s after Mexican collector Josué Sáenz reported that it had been obtained from people connected with looting in Chiapas. According to the story, the manuscript had been found in a cave together with other artefacts. Such accounts are notoriously difficult to verify, and the absence of a documented excavation immediately raised concerns.[Hyperallergic]hyperallergic.coma maya codex found in a cave is authentic researchers sayA Maya Codex Found in a Cave Is Authentic, Researchers…Sep 13, 2016 — In the 1960s, looters searching a cave in Chiapas…
The circumstances alone would have been enough to encourage caution, but several additional factors fuelled scepticism.
First, the manuscript looked unlike the better-known Maya codices held in Dresden, Madrid and Paris. Its illustrations were simpler, the surviving pages were fragmentary, and some scholars felt that the imagery appeared oddly different from established examples.[Yucatán Magazine]yucatanmagazine.comYucatán MagazineINAH exhibits the Maya Codex, the Americas' oldest…Maya Codex, the Americas' oldest existing manuscript a series of ch…
Second, the antiquities market had a long history of forged Mesoamerican objects. During the twentieth century, convincing fakes regularly appeared in collections and museums. A spectacular “new” Maya book emerging from an undocumented source seemed exactly the kind of object a talented forger might create.[traffickingculture.org]traffickingculture.orggrolier codexSep 8, 2016 — A Maya codex of questionable authenticity that appeared on the market in 1971. The Grolier Codex (sometimes known as the Sa…
Third, some critics argued that a modern counterfeiter could theoretically have painted genuine ancient paper with newly invented imagery. Radiocarbon dating of the paper alone would not settle the question if an old blank sheet had been reused. This possibility kept debate alive for decades.[Brown University]brown.eduBrown University13th century Maya codex, long shrouded in controversy…7 Sept 2016 — The codex is both genuine and likely the most anci…
The result was a rare situation in which the manuscript was neither fully accepted nor completely rejected. It occupied a scholarly grey zone, often cited as a potentially important document whose authenticity remained uncertain.[Penn Libraries]library.upenn.eduMaya codex surfaced in a private collection in Mexico City.Read morePenn LibrariesCódice Maya de México: The Controversy and…Códice Maya de México: The Controversy and Authentication of the Oldest Book…
What Later Testing and Comparison Established
The turning point came when researchers subjected the codex to increasingly sophisticated examination. Rather than relying on a single test, scholars assembled multiple lines of evidence that pointed in the same direction.[brown.edu]brown.eduBrown University13th century Maya codex, long shrouded in controversy…7 Sept 2016 — The codex is both genuine and likely the most anci…
Several findings proved especially important:
- Ancient materials: Analysis supported a date in the Early Postclassic period, roughly between the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The manuscript’s bark-paper support and preparation techniques matched known pre-Hispanic practices.[mexiconewsdaily.com]mexiconewsdaily.comthe codice maya de mexico on view at the getty in los angelesMexico News DailyThe Códice Maya de México on view at The Getty in Los…25 Oct 2022 — With the use of the latest technology, scholars w…
- Authentic pigments: Researchers found no convincing signs of modern paints or modern manufacturing methods. The inks and pigments were consistent with pre-Columbian materials.[Yucatán Magazine]yucatanmagazine.comYucatán MagazineINAH exhibits the Maya Codex, the Americas' oldest…Maya Codex, the Americas' oldest existing manuscript a series of ch…
- Correct iconography: Detailed study of the deities, costumes, weapons and artistic conventions revealed combinations of features that were poorly understood when the codex first appeared. Some elements later confirmed by archaeological discoveries would have been difficult for a forger in the 1960s to reconstruct accurately.[Brown University]brown.eduBrown University13th century Maya codex, long shrouded in controversy…7 Sept 2016 — The codex is both genuine and likely the most anci…
- Calendrical and astronomical coherence: The manuscript contains a Venus almanac, tracking cycles associated with the planet Venus. Researchers found that the calculations and structure fit genuine Maya traditions rather than the expectations of a modern imitator.[yale.edu]news.yale.eduauthenticating oldest book americasAuthenticating the oldest book in the Americas | Yale News18 Jan 2017 — The Grolier Codex is the oldest known manuscript from the America…
- Natural ageing and damage: Wear patterns, deterioration and the condition of the pages were consistent with a manuscript that had genuinely survived for centuries rather than an object artificially aged for sale.[Brown University]brown.eduBrown University13th century Maya codex, long shrouded in controversy…7 Sept 2016 — The codex is both genuine and likely the most anci…
By the mid-2010s, comprehensive reviews of the evidence argued that the manuscript was authentic. Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) subsequently recognised it as a genuine pre-Hispanic codex and adopted the name “Maya Codex of Mexico,” replacing the older label derived from its first public exhibition at New York’s Grolier Club.[mexiconewsdaily.com]mexiconewsdaily.comthe codice maya de mexico on view at the getty in los angelesMexico News DailyThe Códice Maya de México on view at The Getty in Los…25 Oct 2022 — With the use of the latest technology, scholars w…
Why a Forger Would Have Struggled to Create It
One of the strongest arguments for authenticity emerged from a simple historical question: could a forger working in the 1960s have possessed enough knowledge to fabricate the manuscript convincingly?
When the codex first surfaced, Maya studies were far less advanced than they are today. Many details of Postclassic Maya art, religion and astronomy were still poorly understood. Later research revealed that the manuscript contained combinations of information that fit ancient Maya traditions but were not widely available in scholarly literature when the object appeared.[Brown University]brown.eduBrown University13th century Maya codex, long shrouded in controversy…7 Sept 2016 — The codex is both genuine and likely the most anci…
This does not make forgery impossible in principle, but it dramatically raises the level of difficulty. A counterfeiter would have needed not only ancient writing materials but also a remarkable ability to anticipate decades of future archaeological and iconographic research. For many specialists, that scenario became less plausible than the explanation that the manuscript was genuine.[Brown University]brown.eduBrown University13th century Maya codex, long shrouded in controversy…7 Sept 2016 — The codex is both genuine and likely the most anci…
What the Case Teaches About Responsible Scepticism
The Maya Codex of Mexico is often presented as a triumph of authentication, but its deeper lesson concerns the proper role of doubt.
The early sceptics were not irrational. The manuscript had an uncertain origin, emerged through private hands and entered a field already crowded with forged antiquities. Under those circumstances, caution was justified. Had scholars accepted every spectacular claim without scrutiny, many genuine forgeries would also have slipped through.[traffickingculture.org]traffickingculture.orggrolier codexSep 8, 2016 — A Maya codex of questionable authenticity that appeared on the market in 1971. The Grolier Codex (sometimes known as the Sa…
At the same time, the codex shows why scepticism must remain open to new evidence. A doubtful provenance can justify investigation, but it does not automatically prove an object is fake. As scientific testing improved and comparative research expanded, the balance of evidence shifted steadily toward authenticity.[brown.edu]brown.eduBrown University13th century Maya codex, long shrouded in controversy…7 Sept 2016 — The codex is both genuine and likely the most anci…
In Mexico’s wider history of disputed artefacts, many famous objects have moved from acceptance to rejection after closer examination. The Maya Codex of Mexico followed the opposite path. Its journey from suspected forgery to accepted manuscript demonstrates that the strongest conclusions emerge neither from blind belief nor automatic disbelief, but from patiently testing claims against the best available evidence.[co-geeking.com]co-geeking.comOldest Surviving Maya Codex Declared AuthenticOldest Surviving Maya Codex Declared Authentic
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Endnotes
1.
Source: brown.edu
Link:https://www.brown.edu/news/2016-09-07/mayacodex
Source snippet
Brown University13th century Maya codex, long shrouded in controversy...7 Sept 2016 — The codex is both genuine and likely the most anci...
2.
Source: news.yale.edu
Title: authenticating oldest book americas
Link:https://news.yale.edu/2017/01/18/authenticating-oldest-book-americas
Source snippet
Authenticating the oldest book in the Americas | Yale News18 Jan 2017 — The Grolier Codex is the oldest known manuscript from the America...
3.
Source: traffickingculture.org
Title: grolier codex
Link:https://traffickingculture.org/encyclopedia/case-studies/grolier-codex/
Source snippet
Sep 8, 2016 — A Maya codex of questionable authenticity that appeared on the market in 1971. The Grolier Codex (sometimes known as the Sa...
4.
Source: hyperallergic.com
Title: a maya codex found in a cave is authentic researchers say
Link:https://hyperallergic.com/a-maya-codex-found-in-a-cave-is-authentic-researchers-say/
Source snippet
A Maya Codex Found in a Cave Is Authentic, Researchers...Sep 13, 2016 — In the 1960s, looters searching a cave in Chiapas...
5.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CvFeJJTl3w
6.
Source: mesoweb.com
Title: Fourth Codex
Link:https://www.mesoweb.com/articles/Coe_etal/Fourth_Codex.pdf
7.
Source: co-geeking.com
Title: Oldest Surviving Maya Codex Declared Authentic
Link:https://co-geeking.com/2018/09/05/oldest-surviving-maya-codex-declared-authentic/
8.
Source: maya.ph
Link:https://www.maya.ph/
9.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1bFJCjpGAM
10.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGcaQqPU6nA
11.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX69xWnp8AA
12.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hredaWmQ8Aw
13.
Source: mexiconewsdaily.com
Title: the codice maya de mexico on view at the getty in los angeles
Link:https://mexiconewsdaily.com/culture/the-codice-maya-de-mexico-on-view-at-the-getty-in-los-angeles/
Source snippet
Mexico News DailyThe Códice Maya de México on view at The Getty in Los...25 Oct 2022 — With the use of the latest technology, scholars w...
14.
Source: library.upenn.edu
Title: Maya codex surfaced in a private collection in Mexico City.Read more
Link:https://www.library.upenn.edu/events/schoenberg-institute-0/codice-maya-de-mexico
Source snippet
Penn LibrariesCódice Maya de México: The Controversy and...Códice Maya de México: The Controversy and Authentication of the Oldest Book...
15.
Source: yucatanmagazine.com
Link:https://yucatanmagazine.com/inah-exhibits-the-maya-codex/
Source snippet
Yucatán MagazineINAH exhibits the Maya Codex, the Americas' oldest...Maya Codex, the Americas' oldest existing manuscript a series of ch...
16.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Maya codices
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_codices
17.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Maya Codex of Mexico
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Codex_of_Mexico
Additional References
18.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/768887699818523/posts/28678913901722528/
19.
Source: mayavase.com
Link:https://www.mayavase.com/grol/grolier.pdf
20.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1331722814218106/posts/1674689609921423/
21.
Source: researchgate.net
Link:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231744392_The_Grolier_Codex_A_Non_Destructive_Study_of_a_Possible_Maya_Document_using_Imaging_and_Ion_Beam_Techniques
22.
Source: historicalmx.org
Link:https://www.historicalmx.org/items/show/67
23.
Source: yalescientific.org
Link:https://www.yalescientific.org/2017/01/americas-new-oldest-book-researchers-confirm-the-authenticity-of-the-ancient-mayan-grolier-codex/
24.
Source: grolierclub.wordpress.com
Title: the relationship between the grolier codex and the grolier club of new york
Link:https://grolierclub.wordpress.com/2019/10/23/the-relationship-between-the-grolier-codex-and-the-grolier-club-of-new-york/
25.
Source: reddit.com
Title: the maya codex of mexico is one of only 4 known
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtefactPorn/comments/10w5kr0/the_maya_codex_of_mexico_is_one_of_only_4_known/
26.
Source: chichenitza.com
Title: mexico mayan codex authenticity confirmed
Link:https://www.chichenitza.com/blog/mexico-mayan-codex-authenticity-confirmed
27.
Source: cambridge.org
Link:https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/latin-american-antiquity/article/el-codice-maya-de-mexico-antes-grolier-sofia-martinez-del-campo-lanz-coordinator-2018-instituto-nacional-de-antropologia-y-historia-mexico-city-xvii-379-pp-isbn-9786075391588-codex-facsimile-included-in-boxed-set/523500C494EFE4538260557ABC513E1C
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