The Glozel affair: A sensational archaeological hoax made science front-page news in 1920s France

By: Daniel J. Sherman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 28, 2025

Words: 1,195

Last Updated: 4 weeks ago

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By Daniel J. Sherman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In early November 1927, the front pages of newspapers all over France featured photographs not of the usual politicians, aviators or sporting events, but of a group of archaeologists engaged in excavation. The slow, painstaking work of archaeology was rarely headline news. But this was no ordinary dig.

The archaeologists pictured were members of an international team assembled to assess the authenticity of a remarkable …

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