Creation Science Rebuttal
Answers in Genesis
The Moab Man
By Greg Neyman
© Old Earth Ministries
First Published 6 January 2006
In 1973, a creationist named Burdick claimed that two human skeletons were found in Moab, Utah, in a rock formation which is dated as being Cretaceous in age (some references say it is Jurassic in age).1 Despite having been thoroughly disproven, it still has a tendency to pop up every once in a while in creation science literature. Most recently, the claim appeared in a Feedback article written by Bodie Hodge of Answers in Genesis, dated 2 Jan 2006.2
Background
Creationists claim that there were two greenish skeletons excavated from the Big Indian Copper Mine near Moab, Utah. The bones were said to be found about 50 feet deep, encased in extremely hard sandstone. Some of the bones were heavily mineralized. The rocks encasing the bones is considered 150 million years old. The find was in 1971.
Researcher Glen Kuban has done a study of this find, and revealed that none of these claims can be substantiated.3 Yes, human bones were found in 1971, but that is the only thing that can be said to be true. Kuban’s research has shown that they were found in loose, unconsolidated sand, and not in hard bedrock. Pictures of the skeleton in the ground are shown at the website http://paleo.cc/paluxy/moab-man.htm. However, you may notice the man excavating the skeleton, on the surface, in broad daylight (contrary to the “50 feet deep” claim). In addition, the bones were unfossilized, partly decayed, and their postures were similar to known Indian burials, all indications of a recent burial.
Carbon dating of the specimens only give an age of 210 years (+- 70 yrs). This was published in 1989 in a book titled Science and Earth History, which had an entire chapter concerning the Moab skeleton. Kuban mentions that at this point, the claim by young earth creation science experts appears to have been abandoned. Looking at the Answers in Genesis article on human fossils, this would appear to be true, to a certain degree.4 They make the claim that they were found in Cretaceous limestone, however they follow it with the caveat “Unfortunately, the lack of detailed documentation associated with their removal makes it impossible to say with certainty that they were not the result of subsequent intrusive burial, although nothing we know of suggests they were.” They make the claim, but they are not dogmatic about it, knowing that the evidence is lacking.
Fast-forward now to 2006, and the claim is still around! Hodge states matter of factly, “In this same limestone (Cretaceous limestone in Moab, Utah), two human skeletons have been removed.” No caveats, no disclaimers about the reliability of the information. Given the shattering of this theory by Kuban, the unwavering ignorance of the young earth creationists making this claim is unfathomable.
Related Matters
Although a different subject, Burdick, the original claimant concerning the Moab Man, has been associated with false claims, including the famous “Burdick Print”, a giant sized human footprint shown to have been carved, and not an actual footprint. Evidence suggests that Burdick purchased this stone, so he may not have known that it was a carving. For more, see The Burdick Print.
Conclusion
Young earth creationists admit that the evidence is lacking, but they still use the claim. One is left to wonder why? If there is no solid evidence to back up the claim, they should not promote it at all. One is left wondering about the integrity of those involved.
1 C. L. Burdick, Discovery of human skeletons in Cretaceous formation, published in Creation Research Society Quarterly 10(2):109-110, 1973
2 Answers in Genesis, Feedback for the week of January 2, 2006
3 Glen Kuban, "Moab Man" - "Malachite Man", 1998.
4 Don Batten (editor), Ken Ham, Jonathan Sarfati, Carl Wieland; Where are all the human fossils?
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