Description of the fossils

The skull is unusually thick which is very rare and indeed pathological in most human populations, but a common condition in the Ona Indian tribe in Patagonia. The Piltdown site is gravel and the hoaxer was aware that fossil bones found there would be impregnated with iron. The skull was treated with a solution containing iron, possibly by boiling in iron sulphate solution. Charles Dawson admitted to treating the skull with potassium dichromate to preserve it - both this and the iron sulphate would have stained the skull and made it look "old".

click here to rotate the Piltdown skull