The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16

RpTfau over tne Alpine Thcc'
We now come to the last OF the three Euro
pean races. which IL generally known as the |
Mediterranean or Iberan type. This prevails
everywhere south ~ the Pyrenees and along
the southern coast Of France: also In southern
Italy including Sicily and Sardinia and In North
Africa. Here again We encounter type OF long
head almost Identical with the Teutonic. The
cephaic index drops from ~ and above
in the Alps to 10 all along the line. Coin
cidcntally the color OF the hair and eyes
becomes very dark. almost black. As to the
bodily height OF this third race. two varieties
are to- day recognized: the group north OF the
Mediterranean is exceedingly short while the
African Berhers are OF goodly size. Author
ities are divided as to the explanation OF this
difference in stature. 1t may be. as DIR. Ripley
has already suggested. that too protraeted
civilization Is charReable with the comparative
dminutiveness Of the peoples on the northern
coast OF the Mediterranean. At all events de-
spite this subdivision based on bodily height.
the substantial unity Of the southern dolico-
cerhallc race is recognized by all authorities.
v.
| Let us pass to the seventeenth and eighteenth
| chapters Of this book in which the origins OF
| the three European races are Investigated In
| view Of the verified data and the reasoning
| thereon set forth in the first OF these chapters
our author deems three propositions concern
| ing race to be fairly susceptible OF proof We
| reproduce them in their order. and shall then
review some of the grounds on which thoy are
affirmed First. the earliest and lowest stratum
| OF population in Europe was extremely long
| headed; probability points to the living Med
| itcrranean race as most nearly representative
! OF it to-day. Second. 1t Is highly proba-
| ble that the Teutonic rnce Of northern
| Europe is merely variety OF this prIm-
| tive long headed race Of the Stone Age,
| both its distinctive blondness and its re-
! markable stature having been acquired in
| the relative isolation OF Scandinavia through
the modifying influences OF environment and
| Of artificial selection. Third. It is certain that.
| after the partial occupation ~ Western Europe
| by dolicocephalic Airicanoid type In the Stone
! Age. an invasion by broad headed race OF de-
| cidcd Asiatic afflnities took place. This In
trusive element is represented to-day by the
| Alpine type OF Central Europe.
| The present unanimity Of opinion among
| archRoloGists concerning the earliest dolico-
| cephaic population Is the more remarkable
because It represents a complete reversal Of
the earliest theories on the subject. Retzius,
| in 1912. from comparison Of the Scandina-
vlans with the Lapps and Firms propounded
| the hypothesis that the latter broad-headed
| brunette types were the relics OF pre- Aryan
| population Of Europe. The comparative bar
| barism OF the Lapps confirmed him in this
view To him It seemed plain that this Mon
| goloid or Asiatic variety OF man had been
| pressed back to this remote northern region
by an immigrant blond long headed race from
the southwest. That this is. In n measure.
| true of Scandinavia il not denied. Arbos re-
searches show Lamp substratum extending
considerably south OF the present restricted
area OF Lappand This fact however. must not
he twisted into an affirmation that such a
| brachycephalic {" Turanian') once Inhabited
all Europe before the so-caled Aryan advent.
| Such was. however. the current opinion
until discoveries Of abundant prehistoric re-
mains were made all over Europe. particu-
| larry in France. These. with one accord. tended
| to show that the European aborigines OF the
Stone Age were not Mongoloid. like the Lapps.
after all. but the exact opposite. In respect OF
head form they vesembled rather the dolico-
cephalic negroes of Africa The only other
races approaching them In long head edness
are either tho EsQulmaux, whom Boyd Daw-
kins believes to be relic OF this early Euro
pean people. or else the Australians Huxley
long ago asserted that these latter savages rep
resented our human progentors. DR., Ripley
does not stop TO discuss either OF these radical
opinions He deems 1t sufficient to say that
Broca dealt the deathblow to the older concep-
ton OF MonRoloid pre-Aryan population
by the evidence which he unearthed in
1888 from the caves Of Perigord the very dis
trict whore a living. Gro MaRnon type still sur
wives. This dolicocephalc substratum has
been traced oil over Europe with much detail
in the Neolthic or late Stone Age by which
time the geography and the nora and fauna OF
the Continent had assumed. In great measure.
their present condition. We know that the
long headed type now predominatinR on the
northern and southern outskirts Of Europe
once occupied territories close up to the foot Of
the high Alps on every side In every part OF
Europe, from Ireland to the Caucasus. the
same indubitable fact ia emphasized. Only in
one place in tho highest Alps Is this law
unverined. 1t seems as il this inhospitable
region had remained unnhnbitcd until the
invasion OF the broadheads. Assuming
ms proved that the first population OF Europe
was long headed, what do we know of its other
physical characteristics Are we able in
other words, to decide to which branch OF the
existing long headed race 1t belongs; that OF
the tall. blond Teuton. or OF the shorter
statured dark -compexioned Mediterranean
type? We can prove nothing directly concern
ing the complexion. for Of course. all traces OF
hair have long since disappeared. Presump-
lively, however the type was rather brunette
than blond. for it would thus approach the
foundation tint OF all the rest OF tho human
race. The light hair and blue eye OF northern
6 Europe are nowhere found in any apprecia BILE
= proportion elsewhere, save. perhaps. among
D the Amos in Japan. H. therefore. AS all con.
9 sIstent students OF natural history hold to-day
. the human races have been evolved In the pas,
l from some common root type. this predomi.
Y nant root-color must ba regarded as the more
= primitive. 1t is not for an instant permissible
= to suppose that 30 per cent. OF the human
4 spccics have varied from a primeval blond an.
= cestry. while the haxen-haIred Teutonic type
1 alone has remained true to the primitive char.
= arterstic The assumption that the earliest
: Euroucans were not only long headed but also
= dark-cOmple Ni0ned is strengthened by certain
= facts to which attention has been directed III
. this book Thus. in one OF his chapters. DR.
9 Ripley has proved that the Cro-Magnon typ
. OF prehistoric antiquity still exists among