Quote Originally Posted by Dhampir
I'm saying it's in awful good condition for being at the bottom of a river. Marble is a very resilient stone, of course. But, I look at marble statues all the time and even after less than 200 years, they're showing the wear of being rained on and buffeted by wind. It seems to me that being at the bottom of a river, having the constant abrasion of water against it for 2000 years would remove at least some of the detail.
Fully agreed. But I think for it to be a hoax would be too much of a publicity disaster for the French. To speak up for them a bit, it was restored so I suppose the weathering is not so apparent.

To be fair the scientists they have on the job are probably Cold War professors conscripted into the project for lack of ancient history professors, and that they simply did a misattribution.

That, or they really believe this is Julius Caesar, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding.