Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-05
s1BER1A,s FINE MUSEUMS.
Collections Which Scholars From AL
Over the World Are Glad to Examine.

Over the World Are Glad to Examine.
From the New York Sun.
That Siberia should be one of the rich
est countries in the world in anthropolog-
zeal investigation and museums of an
thropology may seem surprising. Leon
Sternberg. who arrived from the Acad-
envy of Science at st. Petersburg a few
weeks ago to take up employment In the
department of anthropology in the Amer
lean Museum of Natural History. spent
a term Of political exile in Siberia and
tells about this phase of Siberia.
There Is scarcely a town Of 10000 In
habitants." said he, which has not
well-housed museum of anthropology UNI
der the care of Il learned and competent
curator. and some of these small towns
have museums whose collections attract
museum of Tashkent there Is valuable
material illustrating the civilization of
the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. which fol-
lowed the conquest Of Alexander. The
museum at Irkutsk some years ago sent
out a great expedition In which a score
of political exiles spent three years In
northeastern Siberia, and for the first
time brought in an adequate account OF
the languages. culture. religion and folk
lore of the tribes of that region. Messrs.
Bogoras and Jochelson. afterward placed
in charge of the Jesup expedition from
the American Museum, were members or
the IrkutSk museum expedition.
I'm the little towns of Nerchinsk and
Chetah there are excellent museums
both founded by a political exile He was
sentenced to hard labor. At the expira-
ton of his term he settled in Nerchinsk
and took up the trade of photography.
Although burdened with the support of
great family. he managed to collect
very valuable material of the stone age
and chronological collections from the sur
rounding Tunga and Monaghan tribes.
But the richest museum in Siberia
from a scientific point of view is that of
Minusnsk. Minusinsk is small town.
but the museum Is housed in a fine brick
building, and scientists from the whole
world go there to see the collections IL
containing inscriptions In the Monaghan
and old Turkish dialects. The founder
was Martyanov, a druggist OF MIMI
sinsk. He was educated in university
In Russia where he came under the influ
ence of a distinguished anthropolog1st.
Prof. Radlov. The latter inspired him to
return to his native town and make an
thropological collections of that region.
and Martyanov founded the museum now
known throughout the scientific world
out of his own means and made its chief
collections himself.
'AIl these museums are supported and
have been built up chiefly by private
means. and are the object of much pride
on the part of the local residents. The
influence of the political eXiIeS is reSpOn-
sible for all this.
THE exiles have included many of the
most intellectual people in Russia. This
intellect had to find an outlet somewhere;
Around them lay a vast, untouched field
of such knowledge, in the life and cul-
ture of the native tribes. 1t was virgin
soil for the scientist, and it was perfectly
natural for them to take up the study
with ardor.
"Exiles separated from their kind, iso-
lated in remote villages. threw them
selves into this investigation with all the
enthusiasm of minds starving for mental
,f,tt1,r nj
Siberian towns in money earning occupa-
tions and were able to found museums
Their children no more think of leaving
Siberia than the children OF Immigrants
think of leaving the United States. The
people have greater wealth and greater
independence than in Russia Therefore
their intellectual life is more active and
from the nature of their environment IL
has taken the direction of anthropology.
"All over Siberia are found rocks carV-
ed with figures and inscriptions, thor
ough comprehension of which would un
doubtedly add a great deal to our knowt-
edge of the past. An international asSo-
citation for the investigation of central
and eastern Asia was organized three
years ago for the purpose of making an
exhaustive study of these rock carvings;
Mr. Sternberg spent seven years IN eAiie
in the subarctic island or SaKhaiin thucIi
of the time in little native village IN
which he was the only white man. LAKE,
other exiIes he devoted himself to the
study of the language culture. religion anu
folklore of these people.
Upon his return to Russia he became one
of the staff of the Academy OF Sc-eEcs "a
81 Petersburg and from there was calleo
to the American Museum to assist IN the
arrangement OF certain collections, ana 10
write a book on the tribes OF Sakhailn ana
~ Amur river This book will be one OF
tbosa published in connection with the
North Pacific exploring expedition sent OUT
by Morris X. Jesup to trace the connectiot,
between the tribes of the American anu
ste nf
he Illustrated with plates of articles col
iected in that expedition. and Will prooaoiy
occupy Mr. Sternberg two years IN tne
making