Unraveling Piltdown:: The Science Fraud of the Century and Its Solution [Hardcover]

Evangelist John Walsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 1996

In 1913 amateur fossil hunter and archaeologist Charles Dawson found in a gravel pit the cranium and jaw of an entirely new species of humanoid, which became known as Piltdown man, which caused headlines worldwide as the missing link between man and ape. In 1952, it was exposed as a hoax. With eight pages of photos, this book is a wonderful detective story, and the first examination the convincingly fingers the perpetrator.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Piltdown hoax seriously retarded the progress of paleontology, misleading scientists who believed that the fossil skull found in a gravel pit in England in 1912-1913 was the remains of a prehominid up to a million years old. In 1952, the "fossil" was exposed as a clever fraud, assembled from the remains of a medieval Englishman and a Borneo orangutan. Charles Dawson, the fiercely ambitious solicitor who claimed to have unearthed the bones, has been investigators' leading suspect, and in a masterful, intriguing report that unfolds as an exciting mystery, Walsh (Poe the Detective) makes the case against Dawson even more solid, charging him with planting the bones and then targeting friends and acquaintances?among them Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and priest/paleontologist Teilhard de Chardin?in an attempt to gain scientific credibility for his alleged find. Walsh strengthens his case by documenting Dawson's prior history of plagiarism and fabrication of fraudulent objects. Photos.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In 1913, amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson discovered a human cranium alongside an apelike jaw. Declared the possible missing link between human and ape, the Piltdown fossils essentially impeded the infant science of paleontology for 40 years?because they were the only exception to the rule that showed physical changes preceded enlargement of the brain?until they were proven a hoax in 1952. Through the use of numerous original documents and all other research on Piltdown, Edgar Award winner Walsh (The Shadow Rise, LJ 9/1/93) creates a powerful and convincing exposition of how the deception was accomplished. The 11 most likely suspects are examined in terms of opportunity and motive, and four suspects are considered in depth: Conan Doyle, Teilhard de Chardin, Arthur Keith, and Charles Dawson. Walsh believes the importance of solving the Piltdown forgery at this late date is twofold: to show the influence of a prevailing paradigm on thinking and discovery and to protect innocent suspects, which can be done only by proving the identity of the real forger. Easily the definitive work on this topic and, one would hope, the final word on the identity of the perpetrator, this book is riveting and compelling. Highly recommended for all collections.?Gloria Maxwell, Kansas City P.L., Mo.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 279 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1 edition (August 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679444440
• ISBN-13: 978-0679444442
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,629,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing, and extremely well written, September 23, 2004

By 

Anne Rice "Anne Rice" (Little Paradise, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unraveling Piltdown:: The Science Fraud of the Century and Its Solution (Hardcover)

A fascinating study of the Piltdown tragedy. I approached the book because I wanted to confirm the innocence of Teilhard de Chardin as regards the whole affair, and indeed Walsh clears Teilhard completely to my satisfaction. But I found myself swept up by Walsh's account of this world famous hoax, and the people who were the first victims of it. It would make a terrific film. I recommend the book as a great read, and to anyone curious about any level of the famous incident. This is a place where the criminologist, the anthropologist and the historian -- and the psychologist -- come together. Simply superb.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unputdownable, July 11, 2001

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[e-mail] (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unraveling Piltdown:: The Science Fraud of the Century and Its Solution (Hardcover)

This book is a treat. The sheer common sense and respect for the truth blaze through it. I was impressed by the depth of research and the quality of the analysis. I can't recommend it too highly. I have read other books on this subject but have found their arguments unconvincing. Very highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Court's in recess, August 3, 2002

By 

Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unraveling Piltdown:: The Science Fraud of the Century and Its Solution (Hardcover)

Walsh brings well-honed historical skills to this narrative of the famous Piltdown mystery. Found in a gravel pit in 1912, the skullcap and jaw turned paleoanthropology into a ferocious battleground for many years. Reputations were won and lost over interpreting the artefacts in the ensuing years. Walsh carefully outlines the personalities and the sequence of events leading to the finds. He describes how reluctantly many scholars accepted the original interpretations, until a "second Piltdown" overcame their misgivings.

Walsh's chapter "Challenging the Skull" is an excellent summation of the level of knowledge available at the time. The key issue was the "ape-like" jaw adorned with a significant canine tooth, also found at the site. Several scholars argued that such a tooth precluded the evidence of human chewing wear seen on the jaw's molars. The second "find" swept away these contentions, although the chewing mechanism was never worked out. Arthur Smith Woodward gave Piltdown the appellation Eoanthropus dawsonii honouring the finder of the skull. It became the centre of British anthropological ideas for many years.

In 1953, however, fresh doubts arose concerning Piltdown. Walsh leaps the intervening years abruptly to introduce Joseph Weiner. Weiner, disturbed by the lack of supportive data and the results of new dating technology began to delve more deeply into establishing whether the jaw and skull were truly from one individual. Close inspection revealed the tooth "wear" was the result of filing, not chewing! After four decades, Piltdown was exposed as a fraud.

Walsh examines the cases against the primary figures involved in the find and the campaign to establish its primacy in the anthropological scene. Charles Dawson, the original finder is first exonerated as being "too honest" for such an act. Weiner, who originally investigated Dawson, couldn't obtain more than circumstantial evidence. Walsh continues by recounting the several provoking assessments of other participants. He finds the most compelling Stephen J. Gould's implication that the French priest, Teilhard de Chardin was the perpetrator. Of all Gould's assaults on various scientific figures over the years, this one has always seemed the least plausible. Walsh also finds it unconvincing, criticizing the use of evidence or its lack. He critiques other accusations in the same way. Yet, when he finally settles back on Dawson, his own case is built on surmise and supposition. He is unable to actually demonstrate Dawson perpetrated the fraud. Walsh's case is built on past events and some shady dealings on Dawson's part. Of Piltdown, however, Walsh offers no solid evidence. The most significant aspect of his case is his failure to provide motivation. He builds a flimsy foundation of sibling rivalry, plausible, but unsubstantiated.

The glaring omission in this book is Walsh's failure to place Piltdown in its anthropological context. While the deception circumstances and his survey of those accused of it make compelling reading, the real mystery is why such figures as Woodward and Keith clung to Piltdown's morphology in the face of contradictory evidence. The real challenge to Piltdown came from South Africa with Raymond Dart's find of the Taung Child in 1924. Taung's discovery refuted Piltdown's large brain capacity and the belief that modern humans evolved in Asia or Europe. Woodward fought this analysis for years, vigorously defending his
"Earliest Englishman" against the African challenge. Woodward's ideal early man must be British. While Walsh's "detective story" makes compelling reading, his failure to provide in-depth motivation for anyone involved, even Dawson, still leaves too many questions unanswered. Given the number of tarnished reputations the affair produced, this is an unfortunate lapse. While Walsh has built a strong case, the jury remains unconvinced.