Synopses & Reviews
Ancient astronauts? Atlantis? Psychic archaeology? Pharaoh's curses? Committed to the scientific investigation of human antiquity, this indispensable supplementary text uses interesting archaeological hoaxes, myths, and mysteries to show how we can truly know things about the past through science. Examples of fantastic findings support the carefully, logically, and entertainingly described flaws in the purported evidence.
About the Author
Feder obtained his B.A. in anthropology in 1973 from the State University of New York at Stonybrook. He obtained his M.A. in anthropology in 1975 from the University of Connecticut and his Ph.D. from the same institution in 1982. He has taught in the Department of Anthropology at Central Connecticut State University since 1977 where he is now a full professor. His primary research interests include the archaeology of the native peoples of New England and the analysis of public perceptions about the human past. He is the founder and director of the Farmington River Archaeological Project, a long-term investigation of the prehistory of the Farmington River Valley. He is the author and co-author of several books including: Human Antiquity: An Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Archaeology (with Michael Park; now in its fifth edition; McGraw-Hill); Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology (about to appear in its seventh edition; McGraw-Hill); The Past In Perspective: An Introduction to Human Prehistory (about to appear in its fifth edition; Oxford University Press); and Linking to the Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology (now in its second edition; Oxford University Press). Finally, he is the author of A Village of Outcasts: Historical Archaeology and Documentary Research at the Lighthouse Site (Mayfield Publishing). When he's not digging in the dirt or writing books, he likes to hang out with his one wife, two kids, and four very bad cats.
Table of Contents
Preface Quick Start Guide
Chapter 1: Science and Pseudoscience Belief in the Unbelievable The Morning of the Magicians Pseudoscience and Archaeology Why I Wrote This Book Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercises
Chapter 2: Epistemology: How You Know What You Know Knowing Things Collecting Information: Seeing Isn't Necessarily Believing Collecting Information: Relying on Others Science: Playing by the Rules There Is a Real and Knowable Universe The Universe Operates According to Understandable Laws The Laws Are Immutable The Laws Can Be Understood The Workings of Science The Case of Childbed Fever The Science and Nonscience: The Essential Differences A Rule in Assessing Explanations The Art of Science Where Do Hypotheses Come From? Testing Hypotheses The Human Enterprise of Science Science and Archaeology Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercises
Chapter 3: Anatomy of an Archaeological Hoax The Cardiff Giant: The Goliath of New York The Discovery The Beginning of the End Hull's Confession The End of the Giant Why Did They Do It? Current Perspectives: Frauds The Rules for a Successful Archaeological Hoax Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercise
Chapter 4: Dawsons Dawn Man: The Hoax at Piltdown The Evolutionary Context The Brain-Centered Paradigm A Remarkable Discovery in Sussex The Piltdown Enigma Unmasking the Hoax Whodunnit? Suspect: Charles Dawson Suspect: Arthur Smith Woodward Suspect: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Suspect: Sir Grafton Elliot Smith Suspect: Sir Arthur Keith Suspect: Martin A. C. Hinton Suspect: Lewis Abbott Suspect: W. J. Sallas Suspect: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Lesson of Piltdown Current Perspectives: Human Evolution Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercise
Chapter 5: Who Discovered America? America's First People A New World-To Europeans Biblical Exegesis and American Indians American Indians: From Israelites to Atlanteans Tracing the Source of Native Americans Out of Asia An "American Genesis"? Tracing People by Their Biology Archaeology of the First Americans Who's Next? After the Indians, Before Columbus Artifact Trails: Evidence of Visitors to the New World Europeans in America: The Norse Discovery of America A Newfound Land Where Was Vinland and Who Were the Skraelings? Norse Discovery of America: The Physical Evidence Other Evidence of the Viking Presence? Other Voyagers, Other Visitors A Chinese Discovery of the New World? Africans in Ancient America? Other Europeans in the New World Before Columbus? America Linguistics Inscriptions Architecture The Archaeological Verdict Archaeological Context: Digging Pits and Recovering Evidence Current Perspectives: The Peopling of the Americas Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercises
Chapter 6. The Myth of the Moundbuilders The Myth of a Vanished Race Who Were the Moundbuilders? Identifying the Vanished Race The Walum Olum The Archaeology of the Myth The Moundbuilder Mystery Solved Rationale for the Myth of a Vanished Race Current Perspectives: The Moundbuilders Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercise Chapter 7: Lost: One ContinentReward Atlantis: Where Are You? Atlantis: The Source of the Legend The Timaeus Dialogue The Critias Dialogue The Source and Meaning of Timaeus and Critias Who Invented Atlantis? Where Did Plato Get the Details of the Story?
A Minoan Source
After Plato Ignatius Donnelly: The Minnesota Congressman Atlantis After Donnelly Current Perspectives: Atlantis Ancient Greece Archaeological Evidence in the Atlantic: The Bimini Wall The Geology of the Atlantic Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercise
Chapter 8: Prehistoric E.T.: The Fantasy of Ancient Astronauts Gods in Fiery Chariots The Inkblot Hypothesis The Amorous Astronaut Hypothesis The "Our Ancestors, the Dummies" Hypothesis Extraterrestrial Calendars? Extraterrestrial Aliens in the Pacific? A Real Mystery The Archaeology of Mars Current Perspectives:The von Daniken Phenomenon Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercise
Chapter 9: Mysterious Egypt When Did People Get This Smart? Ancient Egypt How Did They Build the Pyramids? Tutankhamun Pyramids in Bosnia? Current Perspectives: Secrets of the Pyramids Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercise
Chapter 10: Good Vibrations: Psychics and Dowsers Psychic Archaeology The Roots of Psychic Archaeology Psychic Site Location Psychic Excavation Psychic Cultural Reconstruction Psychic Archaeology: The Verdict Dowsing Instead of Digging Testing the Dowsers Current Perspectives: Archaeology Without Digging Frequently Asked Question Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercise
Chapter 11: Old-Time ReligionNew Age Visions Scientific Creationism Noah's Ark Footprints in Time Other Guises of Creationism The Shroud of Turin Testing the Shroud Burial Boxes of Jerusalem New Age Prehistory Current Perspectives: Religions Old and New Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercise
Chapter 12: Real Mysteries of a Veritable Past The Cave Painters of Europe Explaining the Cave Paintings The Civilization of the Maya Explaining the Maya The Mysterious Collapse of the Maya? Stonehenge Explaining Stonehenge Circular Reasoning About Stonehenge An Ancient Astronomy? Why Was Stonehenge Built? Conclusion: A Past We Deserve Frequently Asked Questions Best of the Web Critical Thinking Exercise
References Index