The Piltdown Hoax

The Piltdown hoax was an event in which it is believed that three respected scientists conspired to get the public to believe that fossils of an ancient human skull were found in the small village of Piltdown in Sussex, England. This was an extraordinary find because prior to this supposed discovery, remains of ancient species had been found in many rival countries such as Germany and France but until that point only stone age tools had been found in Britain. Britain, believing that it was the greatest empire on earth, had never found remains of the “ancient man” and was eager to prove that it was the birthplace of the human race. This find could make this lofty goal a reality for Britain. This event started with a man named Charles Dawson who was an amateur geologist who had been given the remains of a skull by a laborer that was digging in a dirt pit. The remains were fragments of an oddly shaped jawbone that was difficult to identify due to the fact that it did not follow the structure of early humans or animals. Dawson took the remains to a well-known geologist Sir Arthur Smith Woodward with the Natural History Museum who helped him formulate his theory that the fossil was a portion of a human skull.  Later that summer Dawson, Woodward, and a French Paleontologists Father Pierre Teilhard, after more excavation they unearthed several additional items including: prehistoric animals, stone-age tools, and finally an ape-like jawbone with human-like teeth that seemed to link it to the skull that Dawson had from the laborer. On December 18, 1912 Dawson and Woodward presented the “Piltdown Man” to the world. It was nicknamed “the earliest Englishman”. This find had a significant effect on the scientific community and impacted not only archaeologists, geologists, naturalists, paleontologists, and even anatomists because this find was perceived to be the “missing link” in Darwin’s theory that gave physical proof of humans’ connection with apes and helped to explain our place in nature. It gained wide support through the endorsement of high profile individuals like Arthur Keith who was England’s leading anatomist. His and Woodward’s endorsement of the find dispelled any questions of validity. The popular acceptance of this find went on for some time without question.

In the 1920’s scientists began to discover ancient human fossils in Asia and Africa that were hundreds of thousands of years after the Piltdown find. Curiously enough these fossils were less human instead of more human. This anomaly led to a rise in the questions that had been in the minds of the scientific community members but who had been previously reluctant to voice their concerns out of fear of upsetting the more prominent and established members. But the seeds of doubt had been reinforced and resulted in a more thorough study of the Piltdown finds.

After WWII a new technology was developed whereby scientists would measure the fluorine content in fossils which allowed them to be dated. Chemical testing became a primary method of testing artifacts. In 1949 this type of fluorine test was conducted on the Piltdown fossils. Finally in 1953 a full scale investigation was conducted using these advanced dating methods. Chemical testing also revealed that the apparent staining on the fossils was not as old as previously thought and improved microscopic tools allowed scientists to determine that the teeth in the jawbone were actually filed down but allowing them to see the jagged scratches that were not visible to the naked eye. This combination of validation methods revealed that the Piltdown finds previously thought to have been the oldest found at the time were actually only about a hundred thousand years old. A massive hoax had been committed that would lead to questions for years to come.

Pride, self-interest, and greed were the major faults that led to this hoax. In general the desire for Britain to be able to compete with rival countries like Germany and France in this field was a major coup considering that it had previously been an area in which Britain had no standing. Additionally there is no doubt that this find gave standing, notoriety, and respect to the scientists involved at a level that was previously unknown. Arthur Keith used the find to bolster his own theories regarding the evolution of man and the fact that Woodward’s involvement removed any question of the validity of the find is proof that once a person had attained a certain level of respect their findings were unquestionable. Unfortunately this practice casts a dark cloud of the scientific process and makes me question all early finds in view of what was later proven. How many other prior discoveries were accepted on the basis of someone’s standing without true empirical proof of its validity? We may never know because the likelihood of anyone going back and validating all of that early data is unrealistic. This causes me to question current theories that were based on this early information. How much do we really know and how much did we assume based on who told us?

Unfortunately science like every other discipline is impacted by the “human factor” meaning that it cannot exist without human involvement. This fact alone ensures that science will never be “full proof” as some people tend to think. Unfortunately this hoax proves that as long as there is an opportunity for personal gain there will always be the possibility of data manipulation. 

Personally not only do I think it is not possible to remove the human factor I wouldn't want to. Our instinctive curiosity and wonder has led to some of the most amazing and magnificent discoveries. Also, our ability to think “outside the box” has enabled us to figure out solutions to abnormal and complex situations that computers and mechanics do not have the ability to discern. I think we went wrong in that we failed to do the very thing that the scientific method is known for namely validation and replication. The scientific community at this point in time accepted the findings based on the endorsement by certain individuals who were thought to be above reproach. I find this particularly funny because it’s no different that someone who believes in a religious theory told to them by their priest and doesn't question it because they believe that their priest is above reproach. 

The most important thing that I've learned from this hoax is that everyone has motives, some innocent, some malicious, and many based on pure greed. I know that I will not be a person who questions everything that I’m told because some things have to be taken on faith but I do know that when it comes to the important issues and questions about who we are and where we come from I have to do my own verifying and make a conscious decision about what I am going to accept on faith.