PILTDOWN MAN

           

Piltdown was an archaeological site in England where, in 1908 and 1912, fossil remains of humans, apes, and other mammals were found. In 1913, at a nearby site, researchers found an ape’s jaw with a canine tooth worn down like a human’s.

And thus another missing link was put forth—one that possessed the skull of a human and the jawbone of an ape. Piltdown was proclaimed genuine by several of the most brilliant British evolutionists of the day—Sir Arthur Smith-Woodward, Sir Arthur Keith, and Grafton Elliot Smith.

How did these faked fragments of bone fool the best scientific minds of the time? Perhaps the desire to be part of a great discovery blinded those charged with authenticating it. Many English scientists felt left out by other discoveries on the Continent. Neanderthal had been found in Germany in 1856, and Cro-Magnon in France in 1868.

 Perhaps national (or professional) pride had kept the researchers from noticing the scratch marks made by the filing of the jaw and teeth—items that were apparent to investigators after the hoax was exposed.

Of course, the deception did far more than dupe a few evolutionists. The whole world was taken in. Museums worldwide proudly displayed copies and photographs of the Piltdown remains. Books and periodicals also spread the news across the globe.

 Thus, the fraud had many convinced that mankind did, indeed, come from an evolutionary ancestry—which shows how gullible people can be at times. In 1953, Piltdown Man was exposed as a forgery.

 The skull was modern, and the teeth on the ape’s jaw had been filed down and treated biochemically to make them appear “old.” No missing link here.
The Truth About Human Origins