For decades, the Meidum Geese, supposedly uncovered in the tomb of Pharaoh Nefermaat, was lauded as “Egypt’s Mona Lisa” and celebrated for its detail and symmetry. However, a recent analysis by archaeologist Francesco Tiradritti has revealed that the painting, which was originally dated between 2610–2590 BCE, is most likely a 19th-century forgery. Tiradetti first grew suspicious of the work after realizing it included images of birds that likely did not exist in Egypt at the time of the work’s supposed creation, and a number of other anomalies, including what appears to be the monogram of the Egyptologist who “discovered” the work, have only confirmed these suspicions.
By Whitney White
Source:
Blakemore, Erin. “This Ancient Egyptian Masterpiece Might Be Fake.” Smithsonian (1 April 2015). https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptian-masterpiece-might-be- fake-180954822/.