Lying Stones of Dr. Johann Bartholomew Adam Beringer

The Lying Stones of Dr. Johann Bartholomew Adam Beringer is a fascinating chronicle of scientific misjudgment, academic rivalry, and the consequences of intellectual hubris in the 18th century. This edition revisits the curious case of Dr. Beringer, a Würzburg physician and collector of fossils, whose career was upended by an elaborate hoax involving hand-carved stones—later termed the "Lügensteine" or "lying stones." These fraudulent artifacts, seemingly bearing impossible inscriptions and images, were deliberately planted by colleagues envious of Beringer's reputation. Despite initial enthusiasm for these finds, Beringer's eventual discovery of the deceit led to public humiliation and financial ruin. The publication of his treatise, Lithographiae Wirceburgensis in 1726, ironically immortalized his misstep as both a cautionary tale and an artifact of scientific history.

This edition not only translates and contextualizes Beringer’s original work but also incorporates appendices that unravel the broader narrative of the hoax. Judicial records, scholarly debates on fossil theories, and the contributions of Beringer’s contemporaries are examined to shed light on the intellectual climate of the era. By revisiting this episode, the volume underscores the importance of skepticism and methodological rigor in scientific inquiry. Far from being a mere curiosity, Beringer’s story serves as a reminder of the complexities of knowledge formation and the enduring need to balance ambition with humility in the pursuit of truth.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1963.