The Piltdown Man hoax
A scientific fraud lasting 40 years
Nestled in the heart of East Sussex, our pub is named after one of the most notorious scientific hoaxes of the 20th century – the Piltdown Man.
The Piltdown Man hoax is a fascinating tale of deception in the world of palaeoanthropology.
In 1912, Charles Dawson, an amateur archaeologist and a respected solicitor in Uckfield, claimed to have discovered the ‘missing link’ between ape and man.
History is made in Piltdown
The discovery of the missing link
In a gravel pit at Barkham Manor, Piltdown, Dawson apparently discovered a fossilised skull belonging to a previously unknown early human. Dawson wrote to Arthur Smith Woodward, Keeper of Geology at the Natural History Museum, about his find.
Dawson and Smith Woodward then worked together, and made further discoveries in the area. They uncovered a set of teeth, a jawbone, more skull fragments and primitive tools, which they suggested belonged to the same individual.
Image credit: Portrait of the Piltdown skull being examined, John Cooke, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
40 years of deception
The Piltdown Man hoax exposed
For over 40 years, the Piltdown Man was accepted by many in the scientific community as an important piece of the evolutionary puzzle.
However, in 1949, the advent of advanced dating technology revealed the Piltdown Man’s skull and jaw were the combination of a medieval human cranium, and the jawbone of an orangutan!
In 1953, the hoax was finally exposed. The Piltdown Man was a deliberate fake – a mix of genuine, ancient human bones and modern animal parts, planted to deceive the scientific community.
Scratches on the jawbone, visible under a microscope, showed that the teeth had been filed down to mimic human wear patterns. It was even discovered that most of the finds from the Piltdown site had been artificially stained to match the local gravels.
Image credit: “Piltdown Man” jaw fragment on display at Melbourne Museum, Ethmostigmus, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Piltdown Man timeline
The Piltdown Man timeline
1912
Charles Dawson claims to have discovered ‘the missing link’.
1920s
Our pub was renamed The Piltdown Man to honour the discovery.
1949
Dr Kenneth Oakley of the Natural History Museum conducts testing and uncovers that the fossilised remains are not genuine.
1953
The Piltdown Man hoax is exposed through advanced scientific methods such as fluorine dating.
Image credit: Piltdown Man – McGregor model, James Howard McGregor, via Wikimedia Commons.
Read more about the Piltdown Man hoax
A well-documented part of scientific history
Visit our historical pub
You’ll receive a warm welcome
We celebrate Piltdown’s fascinating history with a warm atmosphere, delicious food and carefully selected wines, ales and spirits.
Whether you’re a history enthusiast or simply looking for a cosy place to unwind, The Piltdown Man offers a unique blend of local charm and historical intrigue. And, if you explore our bookshelves, you can even while away your time reading more about the Piltdown Man hoax. We look forward to welcoming you!