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Anthropologist resigns in 'dating disaster'
Worlnetdaily ^ | February 19, 2005 | unattributed

Posted on 02/19/2005 7:36:30 AM PST by Woodworker

Panel says professor of human origins made up data, plagiarized works

A flamboyant anthropology professor, whose work had been cited as evidence Neanderthal man once lived in Northern Europe, has resigned after a German university panel ruled he fabricated data and plagiarized the works of his colleagues. Reiner Protsch von Zieten, a Frankfurt university panel ruled, lied about the age of human skulls, dating them tens of thousands of years old, even though they were much younger, reports Deutsche Welle. "The commission finds that Prof. Protsch has forged and manipulated scientific facts over the past 30 years," the university said of the widely recognized expert in carbon data in a prepared statement.

Protsch's work first came under suspicion last year during a routine investigation of German prehistoric remains by two other anthropologists. "We had decided to subject many of these finds to modern techniques to check their authenticity so we sent them to Oxford [University] for testing," one of the researchers told The Sunday Telegraph. "It was a routine examination and in no way an attempt to discredit Prof. von Zieten." In their report, they called Protsch's 30 years of work a "dating disaster."

Among their findings was an age of only 3,300 years for the female "Bischof-Speyer" skeleton, found with unusually good teeth in Northern Germany, that Protsch dated to 21,300 years. Another dating error was identified for a skull found near Paderborn, Germany, that Protsch dated at 27,400 years old. It was believed to be the oldest human remain found in the region until the Oxford investigations indicated it belonged to an elderly man who died in 1750. The Herne anthropological museum, which owned the Paderborn skull, did its own tests following the unsettling results. "We had the skull cut open and it still smelt," said the museum's director. "We are naturally very disappointed."

Protsch, known for his love of Cuban cigars and Porsches, did not comment on the commission's findings, but in January he told the Frankfurter Neue Presse, "This was a court of inquisition. They don't have a single piece of hard evidence against me." The fallout from Protsch's false dating of northern European bone finds is only beginning.

Chris Stringer, a Stone Age specialist and head of human origins at London's Natural History Museum, said: "What was considered a major piece of evidence showing that the Neanderthals once lived in northern Europe has fallen by the wayside. We are having to rewrite prehistory." "Anthropology now has to revise its picture of modern man between 40,000 and 10,000 B.C.," added Thomas Terberger, an archaeologist at the University of Greifswald. Frankfurt University's president, Rudolf Steinberg, apologized for the university's failure to curb Protsch's misconduct for decades. "A lot of people looked the other way," he said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Germany; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: academia; anthropology; archaeology; c14; chrisstringer; crevolist; evolution; fraud; germany; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; history; neandertal; neandertals; neanderthal; neanderthals; protschvonzieten; radiocarbondating; rcdating; reinerprotsch; resignation; rudolfsteinberg; science; speyer; thomasterberger; vonzieten
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To: Junior
Lurkers, please note. Evolutionists post links or excerpts to support their positions. Creationists post cryptic remarks and then refuse to support their contentions. Who are you going to believe? The folks who supply you with their sources or those who do not?

Too funny.

261 posted on 02/20/2005 12:30:57 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: Junior

Junior, you need to read more of my posts to learn how to handle Walsh. You aren't doing so hot right now. And that's a fact.


262 posted on 02/20/2005 12:38:32 PM PST by Torie
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To: jwalsh07

"Put up or shut up" isn't a threat, except to the perpetually fearful. It's simply a request to put your cards on the table or quit making the claims you've been making.


263 posted on 02/20/2005 12:45:56 PM PST by Junior (FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC)
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To: Junior
"Put up or shut up" isn't a threat, except to the perpetually fearful. It's simply a request to put your cards on the table or quit making the claims you've been making.

Not in my neck of the woods. But I'm not the guy whining about threats.

You made a statement. The statement is wrong on it's face. You should simply admit and move on as the Klinks would say.

264 posted on 02/20/2005 12:50:07 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: jwalsh07
You made a statement. The statement is wrong on it's face.

Bull Puckey. You have yet to provide any support for your position that creationists do science. Of course, I'm certain the lurkers have picked up on that by now.

265 posted on 02/20/2005 12:59:20 PM PST by Junior (FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC)
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To: PatrickHenry

Festival of the Belligerently Ignorant and Deceitful


266 posted on 02/20/2005 12:59:28 PM PST by longshadow
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To: jwalsh07
Too funny.

Indeed, I find it quite amusing that so many creationists are arrogant enough to toss out assertions or statements without bothering to provide reference links or documentation, and then expect to be taken seriously.
267 posted on 02/20/2005 1:07:45 PM PST by Dimensio
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To: Junior
Let me help you with some of this.

For the record, I am a near atheist, that strongly doubts God had anything to do with anything, much less guiding evolution. I do however subsribe to the big bang theory. What caused the big bang? I don't have a clue.

268 posted on 02/20/2005 1:11:39 PM PST by Torie
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To: Dimensio
We don't agree but you're usually rational. Below is the statement made by Junior and Shubi. I paraphrase rahter than quote both in the interest of not having to go back and copy and paste.

Creationists do not do science.

Do you really think that I need to provide links to debunk such an idiotic statement. There have been untold Christians, Jews and other theists who have made science their life.

I named one for Junior and Shubi because that is all I have to do to prove their statement false. What's more, I would expect men of science to know just who the hell George LeMaitre is.

269 posted on 02/20/2005 1:14:04 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: Junior
Bull Puckey. You have yet to provide any support for your position that creationists do science. Of course, I'm certain the lurkers have picked up on that by now.

Certainly I did, I offered one name, which is all I'm required to do to prove your idiotic statement false. I would expect a man of science to know that name . That you don't isn't my problem. There are many more but what's the point? One is all it takes to disprove the statement.

270 posted on 02/20/2005 1:17:28 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: Dimensio

And by the way, I chose that one because Junior has said he is a Catholic, if I am not mistaken, and Lemaitre was a Catholic Priest and an early proponent of the BBT, ie: creation.


271 posted on 02/20/2005 1:20:28 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: ValerieUSA

Heh... yeah, and this has come up (not a euphemism) before. ;')


272 posted on 02/20/2005 1:26:15 PM PST by SunkenCiv ("Are you an over due book? Because you've got FINE written all over you!")
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To: jwalsh07

No link though. And, to top it off, shubi shot down your "name." Par for the course for your average creationist.


273 posted on 02/20/2005 1:27:17 PM PST by Junior (FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC)
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To: Junior

LOL, and Shubi are two peas in the same pod. You're statements have been "falsified". And without even breaking a sweat.


274 posted on 02/20/2005 1:34:07 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: Woodworker; blam; FairOpinion; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Berosus; ValerieUSA
The key to peer-reviewed work is to actually have peers review it in the first place, not wait thirty years and then reject it. He got a free pass because his work (or perhaps "alleged work") conformed to expectations. Now, Stringer is saying that "What was considered a major piece of evidence showing that the Neanderthals once lived in northern Europe has fallen by the wayside. We are having to rewrite prehistory." IOW, it's time to do some Replacement, and von Zieten and the Neandertals have to go.
Neanderthal Man 'Never Walked In Northern Europe'
The Telegraph (UK) | 8-22-2004 | Tony Paterson
Posted on 08/21/2004 7:25:32 PM PDT by blam
Prof von Zieten denies the claims, saying that he legitimately obtained the skulls from a Heidelberg ethnologist in 1975. Frankfurt university last month suspended the professor from his post in the anthropology department while it runs its own inquiry.

275 posted on 02/20/2005 1:36:12 PM PST by SunkenCiv ("Are you an over due book? Because you've got FINE written all over you!")
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To: RaceBannon
It was believed to be the oldest human remain...

Humans were around 27,400 years ago. The remarkable thing about the find was that it was the oldest evidence of human habitation in the region. If it had been a Neanderthal skull the article would have indicated that it was a Neanderthal skull. Believe me, I've seen both human skulls and Neanderthal skulls, you can tell the difference right off.

This PROVES that evolution is wrong, for Neanderthals have been so called ancient human ancestors, not supposed to exist today, yet when we find a similar looking skull, we label it NEANDERTHAL...only the Skull is only 255 years old!!

You've got your science wrong. Neanderthals were human relatives, but evolved from a different offshoot of a common ancestor. They weren't our ancestors.

276 posted on 02/20/2005 1:42:21 PM PST by Zeroisanumber
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To: jwalsh07
A creationist, by definition, is somebody who believes that God created the Universe and all that is in it

Both True and misleading enough to be massively False.

It's like saying "A democrat, by definition, is somebody who believes a democratic system of government where the people are able to decide who the leaders are to be"

It conceals the fact the Creationist, like Democrat, also has, by common usage, a specific meaning. "wacko nut-job lying to con the people"

277 posted on 02/20/2005 1:44:24 PM PST by Oztrich Boy ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free")
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To: jwalsh07

" stupis atehistic "


How can we take anyone who spells this way seriously?


278 posted on 02/20/2005 1:44:36 PM PST by shubi (Peace through superior firepower.)
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To: shubi
How can we take anyone who spells this way seriously?

The last refuge of the scoundrel, the typo police!

279 posted on 02/20/2005 1:47:11 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: Zeroisanumber

Funny, creationists use the argument that a form that has moved up the branch is NOT transitional, until they think it helps them refute evolution.

It is also amusing that they try to use evolution to refute evolution when they don't do science. No creationist does science ever. They never do and that is all there is to it. ROFL


280 posted on 02/20/2005 1:47:43 PM PST by shubi (Peace through superior firepower.)
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