Fragments

Mabel Kenward is the daughter of the tenant farmer who found an ‘ancient’ bone on the grounds of Barkham Manor in Sussex. Legend has it that, upon finding the ancient bone, he gave it to Charles Dawson, who announced it to the world. And so began the mystery of the “Piltdown Man”. Charles Dawson befriends Arthur Keith, an anatomist who went on to question the configuration of the Piltdown skull. For over 40 years, the ancient skull was believed to be the missing link between man and ape. Then in 1953, the authenticity of the skull was looked at again by Kenneth Oakley and his findings showed that the bones had been made to look older than they actually were. Now the can of worms has been opened and, in an effort to expose the fraudster and find the truth, Kenneth Oakley and Joseph Weiner visit the only surviving member of the ‘Piltdown Gang’ Sir Arthur Keith, but Arthur is keen to distance himself from the whole affair. It is not until 60 years later – in 2016 – that a study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal concluded that Charles Dawson was the sole instigator of the “Piltdown Man” hoax. You be the judge! 7M, 2F.