Falsificazioni e collezioni epigrafiche

Vagenheim, Ginette
Calvelli, Lorenzo (ed.)

When laying the foundations of epigraphy as a science, Theodor Mommsen recognised forgery and the displacement of inscriptions as two of its most pressing challenges. Seeking to overturn their traditionally negative assessment, this volume repositions these phenomena at the centre of scholarly debate. It examines falsae—counterfeits, replicas or modern creations inspired by ancient models—and alienae—inscriptions removed from their original contexts—across their entire “lifecycle”, applying innovative methodological frameworks such as the notions of “situation” and “epigraphic device”. Through a series of case studies spanning diverse periods and regions, the contributors investigate the historical, antiquarian and cultural dimensions of these phenomena from early modern manipulations of Christian and pagan texts to nineteenth-century fabrications and colonial-era appropriations. Drawing on archival sources, manuscript evidence and archaeological contexts, the volume advocates an inclusive and historically grounded approach to epigraphy, which restores the value of materials long marginalised and sheds light on the scholarly networks, collecting practices and political agendas that shaped them.