Tjerk Vermaning

Before the forgery came out Tjerk Vermaning was a well-respected collector who in 1966 received the Cultural Prize of Drenthe for his contributions to furthering the understanding of the prehistoric heritage of the province.

The accusations were made by the province of Drenthe, based on the findings of archeologists professor Tjalling Waterbolk and his associate Dick Stapert of the University of Groningen.

Several amateur archaeologists, on the other hand, were convinced of Vermaning's innocence and mounted their own campaign to get him acquitted.

Vermaning was initially found guilty of fraud and was sentenced to one month in prison in 1977, but he appealed the verdict.

[citation needed] Vermaning felt that as a result of the court case his integrity had been shattered, and he remained bitter about the affair and resentful toward academic archaeology for the rest of his life.