Would a masterpiece still be a masterpiece if you found out someone else had painted it?
In the past, I might have said yes, but now I would answer that question with a resounding no. From my experiences of traveling around and visiting ancient sites in Iraq, I know that for example, the main reason why I got so excited about exploring Shanidar Cave was because of what was found inside it in the '50s. The reason why I love exploring the citadel so much is because of its sheer oldness. If someone suddenly revealed to me that those Neanderthals weren't authentic, or that actually the citadel was a fake, built just a hundred years ago instead of between five and eight thousand years ago, my interest in those sites would plummet without a doubt.
It's not always just about what you're seeing. Sometimes, the worth of things is based on intangible aspects, like the story behind it, or simply its age- how much time and history it has seen and withstood. It's like judging an old woman not by her wrinkles, saggy boobs and salt-and-pepper hair, but by what those blue eyes have beheld, such things she must have seen.
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