As one writer observes: "Although it is now evident that artefacts are as easily altered as chronicles, public faith in their veracity endures: a tangible relic seems ipso facto real."

正如一位作家所观察到的：“尽管现在很明显，手工艺品和编年史一样容易被篡改，但公众对其真实性的信心依然存在：一件有形的遗物本身似乎就是真实的。”