These criteria are real. There was a distinctly non human population of hominids that lived in Europe, and then disappeared some 30,000 years ago. DNA remains show that they were NOT human.
Lacking a cogent explanation from non scientific sources, I am obliged to adhere to the pontifications based upon real evidence that you dismissively call the scientific methodology.
Liberal/progressives are keenly in tuned in using that scientific methodology for their own purposeful means. Evolution is the embryo of liberalism.... we are gods and we can give and we can take whatever rights we deem socially justified. Because the process of evolution tells us so.
What the evidence demonstrates is this earth is 'ageless' for lack of a better term. And we in these flesh bodies, (does not matter what the human eye can or cannot literally see) and they have been upon this earth in the form we see around God's green earth around 8-10 thousand years. Nobody can date the planting/formation of flesh as we see today human bodies closer than that.