Man, Past and PresentKeane, A. H. (Augustus Henry)
History
Man, Past and Present
Keane, A. H. (Augustus Henry)
Anthropology; Ethnology
Rivet[745] points out that from Brazil to Terra del Fuegia on the
Atlantic slope, in Bolivia and Peru, on the high plateaux of the Andes,
on the Pacific coast and perhaps in the south of California, traces of a
distinct race are met with, sometimes in single individuals, sometimes
in whole groups. This race of Lagoa Santa is an important primordial
element in the population of South America, and has been termed by
Deniker the Palaeo-American sub-race[746].
The men were of low stature but considerable strength, the skull was
long, narrow and high, of moderate size, prognathous, with strong brow
ridges, but not a retreating forehead. There is no reliable evidence as
to the age of these remains. Hrdli[vc]ka, after reviewing all the
evidence says, "Besides agreeing closely with the dolichocephalic
American type, which had an extensive representation throughout Brazil,
including the Province of Minas Geraes, and in many other parts of South
America, it is the same type which is met with farther north among the
Aztec, Tarasco, Otomi, Tarahumare, Pima, Californians, ancient Utah
cliff dwellers, ancient north-eastern Pueblos, Shoshoni, many of the
Plains Tribes, Iroquois, Eastern Siouan, and Algonquian. But it is apart
from the Eskimo, who form a distinct subtype of the yellow-brown strain
of humanity[747]."
Rivet[748] adds that an examination of the present distribution of the
descendants of the Lagoa-Santa type shows that they are all border
peoples, in East Brazil, and the south of Patagonia and Terra del
Fuegia, where the climate is rigorous, in desert islands of west and
southern Chili, on the coast of Ecuador, and perhaps in California. This
suggests that they have been driven out in a great eccentric movement
from their old habitat, into new environment producing fresh crossings.
There is an absence of this high narrow-headed type throughout the
northern part of South America, and a prevalence of medium or
sub-brachycephalic heads which are always low in the crown. These are
now represented by the Caribs and Arawaks, but there was more than one
migration of brachycephalic peoples from the north.
To return to North America. As we have just seen Hrdli[vc]ka recognises
a dolichocephalic element in North America, and various ethnic groups
range to pronounced brachycephaly. Nevertheless he believes in the
original unity of the Indian race in America, basing his conclusions on
the colour of the skin, which ranges from yellowish white to dark brown,
the straight black hair, scanty beard, hairless body, brown and often
more or less slanting eye, mesorrhine nose, medium prognathism,
skeletal proportions and other essential features. In all these
characters the American Indians resemble the yellowish brown peoples of
eastern Asia and a large part of Polynesia[749]. He also believes that
there were many successive migrations from Asia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account