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From the "Pesciaia" in Bolca


Ezio Bonsignore

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This is not a request on a single specific specimen, but rather of a general nature.

 

The "Pesciaia" ("Fish Pond") in Bolca near Verona is easily Italy's largest deposit of fossilised fish and other minor fauna, and fossils from Bolca are present in countless museums and private collections worldwide. The owners maintain their own local museum and actively sell specimens (I bought my first item there as a child, some 65 years ago), although not through the web - nearly unbelievable those days. You can only buy at their shop.

 

Now to the question: has anyone ever encountered a fossil that was claimed to be originating from Bolca, but was then discovered to be a fake? I would not elaborate now and here on the reasons for me wanting to know. Let's say I suspect someone is taking advantage of the owners' lack of familiarity with the digital world. 

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@Ezio Bonsignore

 

Please remember, as you continue this inquiry on TFF, that we do not allow anyone to be disparaged on the Forum.  Please do not accuse or identify anyone you "suspect".

 

Discussions in this forum are intended to help members understand how recognize fossil characteristics and distinguish them from non-fossil features.  ;)

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The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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I fully agree with, and intend to respect the rules of the forum. I did not, and will not mention names, and don't expect for names to be mentioned. My question is, and shall remain as to whether fake Bolca fossils are being encountered on the market. A positive answer would probably allow me to come to certain conclusions, but these would not be presented here,

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I saw lots of Bolca fossils, and never saw a fake one, I think is too difficult to make it look real (due to the matrix texture, 3D, and lots of details). The older speciments (beginning of last century) are restored with cement, or a mix of pine resin and sand, so sometimes they might look fake.

Anyway there  are many replicas for sale, but they are quite obvious. 

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On ‎05‎.‎02‎.‎2020 at 2:55 PM, glu said:

I saw lots of Bolca fossils, and never saw a fake one, I think is too difficult to make it look real (due to the matrix texture, 3D, and lots of details). The older speciments (beginning of last century) are restored with cement, or a mix of pine resin and sand, so sometimes they might look fake.

Anyway there  are many replicas for sale, but they are quite obvious. 

That's my experience, too.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'll note that the specific layer in the Pesciara will determine the sort of preservation you see. Some layers have a lot more hydrocarbons and preserve color pattern and soft tissue. Others are much more straightforward limestone and are mostly if not entirely bone-only. It really depends.

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