The fake remains, allegedly belonging to the ancient hominid "Piltdown Man", were created by Charles Dawson. This was confirmed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, who conducted research to narrow down the suspects in the hoax. The article of scientists was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
The remains of the Piltdown Man are fragments of a skull and lower jaw that were found by amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson in 1912. They were presented to the scientific community as fossils belonging to ancient man, which is one of the transitional forms between primitive primates and Homo sapiens. Despite the fact that the find became a sensation, the remains were the subject of controversy and raised doubts among experts until it was determined in 1953 that the "Piltdown man" was a fake.
In addition to Dawson, several people were suspected of creating a forgery, including Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of works about the detective Sherlock Holmes. To find out who actually perpetrated the hoax, scientists used DNA analysis and 3D X-rays and studied the fossils in detail.
It turned out that the lower jaw and teeth belonged to orangutans, akin to monkeys from the island of Kalimantan, while the holes in the skull were filled with putty, which was used to fix the teeth. The rest of the fossils were made from the bones of two or three human skulls. Inside the remains, scientists found fine gravel, typical of the area where the "missing link" was found.
Scientists have argued why Dawson is a fraud. He found other fragments, including a canine tooth and tools, and all the fossils allegedly discovered by the archaeologist (about 40 in total) were later found to be fake. The main evidence of Dawson's guilt is that the finds were made in a similar way using the same materials. However, scientists admit that he could have accomplices. For example, the French priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin could actively help him in creating a hoax.
