Axel von Berg, long ranked among the world’s most respected archaeologists, is facing allegations of falsifying some of his most important prehistoric discoveries. Authorities in the German province of Rhineland-Palatinate have launched an investigation into claims that Von Berg misrepresented the age and origins of several artifacts, including a skull he famously identified as Neanderthal in 1997.
The controversy began earlier this year, when the Interior Ministry of Rhineland-Palatinate received evidence suggesting a senior employee at the General Directorate for Cultural Heritage had tampered with archaeological findings.
A report in the German newspaper Der Spiegel has identified Von Berg as the accused, claiming to have received inside information. According to the publication, an initial investigation by the ministry found that 21 skull fragments had been incorrectly dated, with 18 more potential cases of falsification—involving finds from spearheads to armor buckles—still under review.
Von Berg rose to prominence following a 1997 discovery at a volcanic site near the town of Ochtendung, where he claimed to have unearthed Neanderthal skull fragments while the construction workers clearing the site for redevelopment were away for Easter break. “I knew where to look,” he recalled, “but I was also lucky.”
After review by prominent archaeologists and paleontologists, the find was celebrated as a breakthrough and covered extensively in scientific journals. In the issue of the journal Berichte zur Archäologie an Mittelrhein und Mosel in which Von Berg detailed his discovery, he described the fragments as coming from a “typical Middle Paleolithic context,” with a French Neanderthal expert concurring with his assessment.
The deputy director of the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museum, Wilfried Rosendahl, right, and the head of the state office for archeaology of Rhineland-Palatinate Axel von Berg present the skull and the reconstruction of the scull of a Celtic male in Mainz, Germany in 2013. Photo: Fredrik Von Erichsen/picture alliance via Getty Images.
Recent investigations, however, have revealed that the skull fragments belong not to a Neanderthal but to a human from the early Middle Ages, making them much less significant.
Von Berg’s other finds in the following years include a skull stuck through with a rusty nail, which he identified as belonging to a Roman legionnaire, as well as two teeth of a supposed pre-human, which he argued were evidence that humanity originated in the Rhineland.
Der Spiegel further reports that Von Berg, while earning his second doctorate on Iron Age skulls at Goethe University in Frankfurt, was supervised by anthropologist Reiner Protsch. The professor, who claimed a specialty in radiocarbon dating, was later found to have been erroneously dating bones for years; the newspaper reported the suspicions of another of his doctoral students, Stefan Flohr, who claimed Von Berg and Protsch “worked together.”
Some two decades after Protsch was exposed, an investigation by the Directorate General for Cultural Heritage also found that Von Berg’s doctoral thesis described finds by state authorities that were entirely spurious. “Almost nothing was correct,” deputy state archaeologist Ulrich Himmelmann told the newspaper. “Sometimes there wasn’t even a settlement where it was stated.”
From left, state archaeologist Axel von Berg, director of state archaeology Ulrich Himmelmann, Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Cultural Affairs Doris Ahnen, and director of cultural heritage Rhineland-Palatinate Thomas Metz view a silver bowl and plate from late antiquity on display in Mainz, Germany, 2014. Photo by Torsten Silz / picture alliance via Getty Images.
When contacted by Der Spiegel, Von Berg and his lawyer denied the accusations, maintaining that he acted in good faith and noting that his finds were peer-reviewed by a French Neanderthal expert, among other archeologists and paleontologists. He also stated that concerns surrounding Protsch led him to seek out another professor as he completed his doctorate.
The Interior Ministry has already initiated disciplinary actions against Von Berg, which could result in the loss of his job and academic credentials. Authorities indicated that the investigation is ongoing and may expand in scope. Signaling a cautious approach to the unfolding scandal, however, an official told Der Spiegel that “We don’t want to overshoot the mark.”