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Palaeontology

Who was responsible for Piltdown Man ?

By T.K. Randall
February 6, 2012 · Comment icon

17 comments

Image Credit: John Cooke

Researchers are conducting a new study to determine who was behind one of archaeology's greatest hoaxes.

Piltdown Man was the name given to an alleged human ancestor unearthed in a gravel pit in England 100 years ago in the form of skull fragments that revealed it to have a large brain but a primitive jawbone and teeth. The find caused a sensation at the time, that was until it was revealed to be nothing more than a hoax. Now researchers are hoping to study the fragments in more detail to determine who might have been behind what continues to be one of the biggest archaeological hoaxes in history.

In a few weeks, a group of British researchers will enter the labyrinthine store of London's Natural History Museum and remove several dark-coloured pieces of primate skull and jawbone from a small metal cabinet.

Source: Guardian Unlimited | Comments (17)

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Recent comments on this story

#8 Posted by FurthurBB 12 years ago

Really interesting article! I hope they find what they are looking for.

#9 Posted by FurthurBB 12 years ago

Those people who knew exposing the fraud would stop millions of young minds from being brainwashed into believing that the piltdown man was the 'missing link' that proved evilution. even today schools use the same tainted charts and graphs to indoctrinate CHILDREN into the religion of evolutionism. Atheists using their own tools of indoctrination to swell the ranks in their church of unbelievers. Evolution has nothing to do with atheism. There is nothing about evolution that would create unbelievers.

#10 Posted by FurthurBB 12 years ago

And then they have the audacity to pat themselves on the back and claim what wonderful people they are that they finally after generations have been convinced of evolution based on such an 'obvious' fraud, to 'expose' the fraud. They have the nerve to claim it proves how much integrity they have. hahahahahaha. As long as money is shoved at people to prove what the religion of evolution wants them to prove, they will continue to fudge data and even completely ignore anything that would bring their theory into question, and even make up false data and support it for generations. Obviously you ha... [More]

#11 Posted by Sundew 12 years ago

Personally I wish creationists would do some homework and understand the evolution of their own religion and bed-time book of choice. Faith and ignorance tend to work together quite well for the uneducated. Point taken, for the Bible says, "Always be prepared to give and answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect". However, this hoax was perpetuated as fact in school textbooks long after the truth about it was revealed, and for all I know is STILL being treated as a fact. So a little scientific honesty couldn't hurt ei... [More]

#12 Posted by Neognosis 12 years ago

this hoax was perpetuated as fact in school textbooks long after the truth about it was revealed, and for all I know is STILL being treated as a fact. Do you have evidence for this claim? Also, to be clear again, because I don't think some of you understand... Piltdown man was reexamined when a flood of new evidence conflicted with the timeline that a genuine Piltdown man would have necessitated. This is how "science" works. We form theories and timelines based on evidence. So, when the theory and timeline was called into question by new evidence, scientists reexamined the old evidence. And th... [More]

#13 Posted by FurthurBB 12 years ago

Do you have evidence for this claim? Also, to be clear again, because I don't think some of you understand... Piltdown man was reexamined when a flood of new evidence conflicted with the timeline that a genuine Piltdown man would have necessitated. This is how "science" works. We form theories and timelines based on evidence. So, when the theory and timeline was called into question by new evidence, scientists reexamined the old evidence. And thus found it to be faked. This is different from belief and religion, where nothing new happens and evidence or lack thereof means nothing. Yeah, I woul... [More]

#14 Posted by Myles 12 years ago

#15 Posted by Copasetic 12 years ago

Point taken, for the Bible says, "Always be prepared to give and answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect". However, this hoax was perpetuated as fact in school textbooks long after the truth about it was revealed, and for all I know is STILL being treated as a fact. So a little scientific honesty couldn't hurt either unless of course the goal is indoctrination and not education. Of all the children who were taught the "facts" of Piltdown Man, how many will ever learn that it was faked? It reminds me of some horrible... [More]

#16 Posted by SatampraZeiros 12 years ago

so its bad that Piltdown man was taught as "fact" but its not that bad that the "virgin" Mary is also taught as fact? or Christmas? ho ho ho. I guess creationists and evolutionists arent so different after all huh?

#17 Posted by Neognosis 12 years ago

Which means that most that we know may not be fact. "fact-as-we-know-it" and fact are 2 different things. Well, that's the thing with science. Science uses EVIDENCE to support theories. When the evidence is intentionally hoaxed, then the resulting theory will be incorrect. But, when new EVIDENCE emerged, causing scientists to take another look at piltdown man because he didn't conform to the newly unearthed evidence, they discovered he was a hoax. If scientists behaved like creationists, they would NOT have gone back and reexamined Piltdown man. Instead, they would have tried to subvert and di... [More]

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