Southampton’s Centre for the Archaeology of Human Origins (CAHO) is preparing for another year full of fascinating seminars. Today they launched their seminar series blog where you can find some of the speakers that are lined up. Check the site regularly for updates! The first seminar is by Southampton’s very own Dr. John McNabb on 26 October.
Dr John McNabb
Centre for the Archaeology of Human Origins, University of Southampton“Piltdown; Nationalism, Human Origins and the Faking the Earliest Englishman”
This year sees the centenary of the Piltdown man. In December 1912 a tremendous discovery was announced. A fossilised human ancestor which perfectly fitted the prevailing expectations of evolutionary theory, and it was found in Sussex. What could have been more appropriate, unless it was the discovery of an ancient cricket bat – and the forger even provided that as well. This talk will concentrate on a much neglected aspect of the Piltdown forgery – the material culture. This is usually side lined in favour of the more dramatic human remains. However the bogus tools that were planted by the forger have important insights to offer into the practice of anthropology and archaeology in the post-Edwardian era.
Archaeological Networks 