Dossier in preparation
Piltdown Man skull composite fraud
What is the provenance, dating evidence and publication history of Piltdown Man skull composite fraud?
Explore the recordArtifacts and Forgeries
Objects under dispute, their chains of ownership and the fabrications that changed the historical record.
This subject connects several collections. Begin with an individual record, follow the questions it raises, and compare the accounts that use it.
I follow the original record. Dates, names and documents come before reputation or official assurances. Read the files, compare the accounts and examine the connections for yourself.
Research & writing
All research topicsDossier in preparation
Cardiff Giant petrified-man hoax
What is the provenance, dating evidence and publication history of Cardiff Giant petrified-man hoax?
Explore the recordDossier in preparation
Archaeoraptor National Geographic retraction
What is the provenance, dating evidence and publication history of Archaeoraptor National Geographic retraction?
Explore the recordTopics in this collection
Famous Forgeries
- Piltdown Man skull composite fraud
- Cardiff Giant petrified-man hoax
- Archaeoraptor National Geographic retraction
- Etruscan terracotta warriors Met Museum
- Tiara of Saitaphernes Louvre forgery
- James Ossuary inscription authenticity
- Gospel of Jesus Wife papyrus
- Kujau Hitler diaries forgery
Out-of-Place Artefacts (OOPArts)
- Antikythera mechanism complexity surprise
- Nimrud lens Layard discovery debate
- Dendera zodiac dating controversy
- Saqqara Bird aerodynamic analysis
- Quimbaya golden-jet model comparison
- Phaistos Disc printing-stamp technique
- Costa Rica stone spheres precision
- Roman dodecahedra unknown purpose
Disputed Holy Relics
- Shroud of Turin weave-date dispute
- Sudarium of Oviedo blood-type match
- Holy Lance multiple competing specimens
- Holy Grail location competing claims
- True Cross fragment multiplication
- Veil of Veronica image origin
- Ark of Covenant Ethiopia claim
- Buddha tooth relic multiple temples
Contested Ancient Technology
- Baghdad battery electrochemical experiment
- Abydos helicopter hieroglyph palimpsest
- Dendera Hathor bulb relief reading
- Coso Artifact spark-plug geode
- Dorchester vase blast-quarried object
- Klerksdorp spheres natural-vs-made debate
- Aluminium Wedge of Aiud analysis
- Baigong pipes natural iron tubes
Sources & further reading
All source recordsEuropeana — Digital Cultural Heritage
Cultural heritage discovery collection
Gallica — Bibliothèque nationale de France
National-library digital collection
British Museum — Collection
Museum object catalogue / discovery collection
Collections include research leads. An individual source record describes its role and access status.