Frauds and Hoaxes in Archaeology
Some of the alternative ideas promulgated about archaeology are deliberate frauds perpetrated to embarrass professionals or cheat a gullible public. Here are some of the more interesting of these peculiar relics of our past.
Although rumors of an ancient horse skeleton buried in a Native American burial mound have persisted among amateur archaeologists for decades, the real story behind the Spencer Lake Mound is very funny indeed.
Online informationi from chapters in the 3rd edition of this book by Kenneth L. Feder.
In late 2002, epigrapher Andre LeMaire reported in the Biblical Archaeology Review the discovery of a limestone burial box, of the kind used by the Jewish and early Christian communities between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. The Jury is in, and it doesn't look good.
An empty limestone burial box with an engraving in the ancient Aramaic language has been creating all kinds of stir recently in the academic world of biblical archaeology.
From Richard Harter, everything you always wanted to know about Piltdown Man, including a history of the hoax, photographs and articles.
A visually spare but information rich site on the Piltdown hoax from Charles Blinderman and David Joyce at Clark University.
A report from BBC News on a reconstruction of the renowned Piltdown Man hoax, including information about the original dig and who might have perpetrated the most famous anthropological hoax of the 20th century.
