Cardiff Giant: Hoaxing Ancient Giants

In 1869, a supposed ancient giant was discovered in Cardiff, New York, attracting crowds willing to pay to see it. The owner, William Newell, sold a majority stake for $30,000 to businessmen who took the Cardiff Giant on tour. Experts soon declared it a statue, leading to suspicions that George Hull, Newell's cousin, had orchestrated the hoax to disprove religious beliefs about giants mentioned in the Bible.