The Ivory Goddess: Truth in the Fragments

Deep in the archives of the Royal Ontario Museum lies a mysterious figurine — delicate, ancient-looking, and shrouded in controversy. Known as the Minoan Ivory Goddess, this artifact was long thought to offer a rare glimpse into a powerful civilization from 3,500 years ago. But questions have haunted its story: Is it truly Minoan? Or a modern-day forgery slipped into history by one of archaeology’s rather controversial figures — Sir Arthur Evans, the man who “discovered” the Minoan world?In this episode, we trace the tangled history of the Ivory Goddess, unraveling the debates over her authenticity and the legacy of Evans himself. Along the way, we sit down with a former archaeology student who reflects on what it means when the lines between myth, ambition, and science blur.🔗 Explore the artifact and its story for yourself on the ROM’s official site.