OBJECTS FROM CERRO DEL TORO: DISTINGUISHING THE AUTHENTIC FROM THE FAKE: THE INTEGRATED ARCHAEOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION PROTOCOL (IAAP)

This paper defines the methodological criteria necessary to distinguish authentic artifacts from Cerro del Toro (Jalisco, Mexico) from contemporary artisanal reproductions intended for the tourist market. Although the academic archaeological community tends to consider the entire collection a recent phenomenon, recent field investigations aim to verify the presence of a core of finds of historical and archaeometric interest. In 2025–2026, a series of surveys and controlled excavation campaigns (conducted by A. Donini, T. Hrico, S. Cremer, O. Elistratov, and K. Elistratov) established, for the first time at this site, a rigorous and documented chain of custody. Data traceability—which includes in situ stratigraphic documentation, controlled recovery, sealing of samples, and their transfer to laboratories for analysis—guarantees the integrity of the sampling. The earthenware artefacts subjected to absolute dating protocols using thermoluminescence (TL) yielded release kinetics consistent with ancient thermal reset (reset of the electronic traps induced by original firing at temperatures above 500°C). The data exclude the possibility that the analyzed samples are attributable to ceramic production from the last century or to forgeries treated with artificial irradiation techniques, confirming the antiquity of the earthenware supports. The structuring of a complete documentary chain—from stratigraphic excavation to laboratory certification—demonstrates the existence of a batch of ancient artefacts at the Cerro del Toro site. Confirming the antiquity of the supports constitutes the scientific basis necessary for any subsequent iconographic or anthropological interpretation.