Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

BIBLE LESSONS FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 30, 1955ovenanterWitnessf SEED).VOLUME VL, NO. 15 TOPEKA, KANSAS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1955New Hoaxes Discovered atPILTDOWNMan Who "Found" Famed Skull Linked to Other FakeryHASTINGS, ENGLAND (Reuters). A wholeseries of newly-discovered hoaxes have been pinnedon the man who fooled the world for forty years witha bogus "Piltdown" skull.Research in 1953 revealed that Country LawyerCharles Dawson did not end his trumpery with theskull he "discovered" at Piltdown, Sussex, about1912. Modern bone examination methods haveproved that the skull, claimed to have been that of aman of 50,000 years ago, was the jawbone of a modern ape.Now the researchers at Hastings Museum havefound out that many bronze axes, implements andspears from Dawson's collection are also fakes. Inaddition, they found that a History of Hastings Castle, published under Dawson's name, was written acentury earlier by Archaeologist William Herbert.Collection SoldDawson died in 1916 without any inkling thathis bogus discoveries would be found out. Later hisextensive collection of allegedly ancient items housedin his private museum were sold for a good price toHastings Museum.Dawson, who practiced law in the nearby country town of Uckfield, became internationally knownwhen, as an amateur antiquarian, he produced thePiltdown skull. When a monument was unveiled tohim at Piltdown in 1938, Anthropologist Sir ArthurKeith said men of science "took off their hats" tothe successful amateur.Made by FakesToday,men of science are taking apart everyDawson "discovery" in an attempt to trace its origins. Curator J. Manwairing Baines of Hastings Museum said the results of research into Dawson's workare "alarming."Some of the admired flint implements fromDawson's collection in Hastings Museum are products of a noted faker nicknamed "Flint Jack," hesaid. Others were apparently picked up by Dawson inDenmark-and New Zealand and brought back to England, where he claimed to have found them.Baines said doubts also have been raised abouta collection of bronze axes found at St. Leonards, amedieval horseshoe from Uckfield, and a horse'sspur from Lewes.Few Pen* ScruplesAnother item wrapped in mystery is a tinystatue which Dawson claimed to be the earliest example of cast iron in Europe. Baines said authoritiestook Dawson's word for it at the time, but it is nowthought the statue is offairly recent date, boughton the Continent.Dawson's pen apparently had as few scruples ashis shovel. Baines said the lawyer's book on HastingsCastle had been regarded as standard authorityuntil a local bookseller some months ago turned upa manuscript by William Herbert who excavated atthe castle early in the 19th century.The Free Methodist