[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by drcy

The book will come out in print, but you can read the pdf version.

Authenticating Art and Artifacts: An Introduction to Methods and Issues

It's a textbook-style primer (for the novice) to the general methods, elemental to advanced, used in the examination of everything from antique toys to Rembrandt paintings, movie posters to prehistoric relics. It introduces the elemental research to advanced science (radiometric dating, thermoluminescence testing, spectroscopy, computer analysis, etc). It also discusses the limits and related issues, including margins of error in scientific testing and other analysis. While it's a general guide, it includes many case studies and detailed examples.

Interesting. Almost seems to suggest that an eyeball test is not enough and that science is required to authenticate something.