Bringing ancient artifacts into the digital age

In the world of ancient artifacts, authenticity is a constant concern. From the illegal trafficking of priceless relics to the pervasive issue of forgeries, securing and verifying the true origins of these treasures has always been a challenge.

But the team at Public Masterpiece is stepping up to change that narrative—using blockchain technology to bring transparency and security to artifact certification.

“We are problem solvers, and the blockchain technology gives all the opportunities to solve all these issues that we are facing in the world, and one of them is in the world of artifacts,” Garen Mehrabian, COO of Public Masterpiece, told The Crypto Radio.

Mehrabian’s journey into the world of artifact preservation began years ago when he met with Egypt's Minister of Culture. “He was telling me all about the fraud behind the artifacts, when they fake the artifacts and sell them, or the illegal trafficking of artifacts,” Mehrabian said.

“So I was listening, and I was like, 'There needs to be a framework internationally that somehow secures these transactions and the trade.'”

Today, Mehrabian and his team are creating that very framework, leveraging blockchain to certify and track artifacts. Their solution? Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that not only authenticate but also provide a comprehensive digital record for each artifact.

Revolutionizing certification

“We don’t just certify artifacts on the blockchain. We do certify them for each country, but we also do thermal scans, we do laboratory tests, we do 3D scans.

"So, we feed the NFT with a lot of information that is then searchable through a web2 application,” said Mehrabian, referring to the current, widely used iteration of the internet.

This approach is a far cry from the traditional, often opaque methods currently used by museums and art dealers. As Mehrabian points out, “Museums are all old school, and the art trade is still not very transparent, so there's a lot of money laundering going on with art and all of that.”

What sets Public Masterpiece apart is its partnership with governments, ensuring that the artifacts they certify are both authentic and traceable. “Once that is certified by the country itself, it has a bigger value, and it shows more transparency, and because transactions go through the blockchain, anyone can look at it.”

A transparent future for museums and researchers

This transparency is a game-changer for collectors and researchers alike. “Museums are welcoming, actually, this step of having a database of all these artifacts, and being able to look for them and then being able to buy them or make offers," said Mehrabian.

For researchers, the ability to access information without traveling is transformative. "The researchers can get information from these artifacts without traveling miles. And so we are solving a lot of issues there."

Of course, ensuring authenticity is crucial in such a system. Mehrabian acknowledged that his team relies on experts to handle this aspect. "We have a team of renowned historians. We have a team of people who can test, actually, pieces of rock paint, and through our laboratory tests that we have done before, even with art pieces that we are buying right now, with regular art, you are never 100% sure if it's authentic either."

He continued, "So there are institutions and there are testing facilities that you can send these pieces to, and they will check for you, and they will put another certificate on top that this is actually real. And we're doing the same with the artifacts."

By combining the expertise of historians and scientists with the transparency of blockchain technology, Public Masterpiece aims to revolutionize the way the world interacts with and preserves ancient artifacts.

Mehrabian also highlighted how governments can use blockchain to manage replica collections—officially certifying and tracking limited-edition pieces, using Egypt's Gisa pyramids as an example.

"Once the government says, 'Okay, we have only 250 pieces and they're going out officially. And this is the certificate on the blockchain,' it gives a certain value and a new source of income for the governments."

"It's not just anyone that built the pyramid and sells it outside in the market".

Through its innovative framework, Public Masterpiece is not only preserving history but also forging a more transparent, secure future for the world’s most precious treasures.

 

Listen to the whole interview on The Crypto Radio's live player or in the Bigger Picture podcast.