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Researcher Exposes Archaeological Fraud, HoaxesNEW BRITAIN, Conn., Oct. 31 (AScribe Newswire) -- If you're planning an expedition to search for the lost continent of Atlantis, or if you're seeking to visit foreign lands to prove that astronauts visited Earth during ancient times, you might want to speak with Kenneth L. Feder before making your travel plans.
Feder, a professor of anthropology at Central Connecticut State University, will tell you that there was no Atlantis and there were no ancient astronauts. And he will tell you in convincing fashion.
Feder is a leading authority on archaeological myths and fraud and, in fact, he's written a book on the subject, Frauds, Myths and Mysteries (McGraw-Hill Mayfield, 355 pages). First published in 1990 and now in its fourth edition, the book is widely used in college classrooms across the country. It also was recently named one of the best in its field by the readers of Skeptic magazine (
www.skeptic.com), joining a list featuring the works of such well-known individuals as Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov and Betrand Russell. The book's success has been remarkable, considering that it was initially rejected by 15 publishers.
"If it weren't for archaeological fraud no one would know my name," Feder said with a smile. Since his book was published, Feder has done interviews on archaeology fraud, myths and mysteries with the History Channel, the Learning Channel, the BBC and BBC Radio. The programs have been so popular that while visiting in France this summer, Feder was stopped by a man from Holland who recognized him from his appearances on the BBC.
Feder traces his interest in exposing archaeological fraud to the book, Chariots of the Gods? written by Swiss author Erich von Daniken. "I remember in college hearing a review of von Daniken's first book, late at night on some radio station," Feder said. "I remember thinking, 'This guy is whacked.' I read the book, and it was absolutely hilarious. That sort of inspired me to track down other things like it."
Feder's interest took on new meaning when he began teaching at Central in 1977. He was asked to develop an introductory anthropology course to attract new students to the discipline. "I was wracking my brain and then I thought, 'I bet students would be interested in this wacky stuff -- frauds and myths. Maybe that will draw kids in,'" he said. And he was right. Every year, the course, The Ancient World, is over-enrolled.
"This is a good course and it has evolved to become a course about science. My expertise is about the human past, and we focus on how scientists assess claims," Feder explained.
One problem with teaching the course was that the best book on the subject of archaeological myths went out of print in the mid-1960s. Other books were written, but they didn't quite fit Feder's purpose. That's what inspired him to write his book in which he explores a host of well-known and not-so-well-known frauds, myths and mysteries of archaeology. Included among the many topics are examinations of the Cardiff Giant, a hoax about the remains of a biblical giant discovered in New York state in 1869, and the Piltdown Man, an alleged missing-link skull found in England in 1912 that was hailed as a major discovery. The book also disputes visits by ancient space travelers and examines the origin of the story of the Lost Continent of Atlantis.
"Archaeology is blessed and cursed by being really popular," Feder said. "Most students come into my class knowing about archaeology, but the curse is that so much of the interest and excitement is generated by stuff that is just garbage."
Feder's interest in archaeology began when he was a little over three years old. "I wanted to grow up and be a dinosaur. When I figured out I couldn't be a dinosaur, I decided to be a guy who studies dinosaurs and that led to an interest in archaeology," he said.
But wasn't until his sophomore year at the State University of New York, Stony Brook that Feder became serious about his childhood obsession. During that year, he took an anthropology course and wrote a research paper that caught the attention of a graduate teaching student. The graduate student encouraged Feder to pursue a degree in anthropology, which Feder initially resisted until he learned that anthropology includes the study of the human past (archaeology), as well as the present. He had found his niche and eventually went on to earn his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Connecticut.
The decision to become a teacher was easy for Feder, because his father had been a teacher. "I'm a lot like my dad. I'm very comfortable talking to people," he said. "When I was in high school, the way I studied was that I closed the door to my room, and I would give a lecture to myself. I figured that if I could explain a topic out loud and off the top of my head, that meant that I really understood it. It's like practicing in front of a mirror. I guess I became good at it."
At Central, Feder says his goal is not to produce more archaeologists, but to get his students to think critically about the past and the world we live in. "What distinguishes us from other animals is our brain and vast intelligence. What are we going to fill it up with? I just happen to be interested in the dim mists of antiquity. All of us are fascinated by other countries. The past is a foreign country, there's a book by that title, and that's what archaeology is like. There were people who lived right here 5,000 years ago, and studying them is like visiting a foreign country.
"Archaeologists are like kids," he continued. "We get to play in the dirt and pretend to be detectives and try to figure out things about places and people who aren't here any more. We get to do that as part of our profession. What's better than that?"
Media Contact: Dean Golembeski, CSU System Public Relations, 860-493-0093 Mark McLaughlin, CCSU Public Relations, 860-832-0065
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