A series of images shared on social media shows giant swords discovered in Turkey.
For months, social media posts circulated a series of four photographs allegedly showing giant swords found in an archaeological dig in Turkey.
One Facebook post with the images read: “Shocking Find: Archaeologists Discover Huge Swords from a 3,000-Year-Old Civilization in Turkey, Unleashing Intrigue About Giant Warriors and Their Astonishing Craftsmanship.” One X post with the photographs gained over 1.4 million views as of this writing.
The images were spread on various social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube.
In short, because the in-question photographs were generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI) software, we have rated them as fake.
The images purportedly showing giant swords discovered in Turkey show several tell-tale signs of being AI-generated. For instance, the individuals in the photos have noticeably deformed hands, disproportionate bodies and unnatural facial features. Additionally, the shadows in the images are inconsistent, with some cast in conflicting directions (as highlighted in the examples below).
(YouTube channel ConsciouSean, Is it AI?)
(YouTube channel ConsciouSean, Is it AI?)
The heads of the individuals in the photos are often distorted and unnaturally shaped, while their hands feature extra fingers or blurred, irregular outlines.
(YouTube channel ConsciouSean, Is it AI?)
(YouTube channel ConsciouSean, Is it AI?)
Is it AI?, a tool designed for detection of AI-generated images, indicated all four photographs were “highly likely” AI-generated. Similarly, TrueMedia.org website indicated there was “substantial evidence of manipulation.”
Finally, no reputable sources including news outlets, archaeological institutions, or scientific journals have reported any discovery of the swords depicted in the photographs, either in Turkey or anywhere else in the world.
Teyit, a Turkish fact-checking organization, also investigated the images in July 2024, similarly concluding the images were artificially created. Tempo.co, an Indonesian fact-checking organization, also assessed the images were fake in August 2024.
For further reading, in February 2018 we investigated whether a series of photographs showed the skeletal remains of the biblical giant Goliath. Moreover, in April 2024 we looked at claims that an unearthed image authentically shows a photo of a “Nephilim giant” under the government’s watch.