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Request from USC in
1937
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In 1937, Howard received a letter from Dr. A.O. Bowden, head
of the Department of Anthropology at the University of California
requesting to see the skull. Howard packed it well, and sent
it off to the University, excited to know that the most respected
scientists in Californian Indian studies would be weighing in
with their opinion.
A few months later, the skull was sent back, along with a letter
from an instructor, Ivan A. Lopatin. The letter read in part
as follows:
"After close visual examination and comparison with
other skulls in our laboratory, I am able to say only that the
skull under consideration does not differ from that of an average
California Indian. The Skull was exposed for years to the influence
of the atmosphere".
Of course, the fact that the skull was found five feet underground
encased in solid rock didn't seem to influence this studied
opinion at all.
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Reply from USC in 1937
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But how could the skull have been exposed to the atmosphere
for years?, thought Howard. It seemed impossible to him.
He remembered thinking at the time that maybe the skull had
been exposed to the atmosphere for years before it became
buried so deep in the ground, but that would make it
even greater in age then he or anyone else thought possible,
so he dismissed the thought himself.
The letter was very discouraging to Howard. Lacking any positive
scientific method with the technology of that time to positively
date the skull left him with little choice but to accept the
opinion of those of greater knowledge. If they said it was nothing
special, then he must accept that opinion. But, it was difficult
to accept when the opinion didn't seem to fit with the facts.
Howard put the skull back in it's little box and back on the
shelf in his closet, and there it stayed. Howard soon went off
to war in the Pacific, returned home to begin raising a family
and grow his Building Design profession.
It would be almost another 20 years till the skull came back
out into the light of scientific inquiry.
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