The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20
DID INDIANS COME
HERE FROM SIBERIA?
Scientist Thinks They I'M
migrated in the Past
Glacial Period

A problem of much interest, and OF
late good deal before the public. Is
that of the origin of the American alb
origne, in other words, the native In
dian. In this connection the recent in
vestigations of DR.. Ales Hrdlieka, cura-
tor of physical anthropology. National
Museum. tend to prove that the native
American immlgrated to this country
In postglacial period. and Is a rep
resentative of the overflow from north
eastern Siberia where he is closely re-
lated both mentally and physically TO
the ye1low-brown people of Asia and
Polynesia.
Among the. interesting sites explored
by Or. Hrdlicka are the burial mounds,
or 'kourgans," as they are called. 10
Gated on the banks of the Yenisei and
ISelenga rivers and their tributaries and
along the streams of northern Mongolia
especially on the banks of the Kerr
ulen
oddly enough the date of the mounds
is established quite as readily as if
the date of construction We're carved
on a stone, for the different objects
uncovered, be they gold, copper, iron,
the particular mound from which they
came as falling within definite time
limits Most of the "kourgans" ap-
pear to represent nearly recent times.
corresponding to Ugrian or Turk or
Tartar elements, as well as modern
Monaghan. The skulls of the skeletons
taken from these more recent mounds
are of the brachycephalic type, short
somewhat spherical skulls, which occa-
sionally closely resemble the same form
of American crania, but the 'kour-
sans' of earlier date containing no
| metal Objects yield skulls resembling
the dolichocephalic type, long and mar
row. and much like the American In
dian skulls of this type.
1t is difficult to assert to just what
race the older skeletons and skulls be-
| long, and yet on the banks of the low
| er Yenisei river, and in several other
localities, living dolichocephalic types
are not unusual and such natives fire.
quently bear a strong physical resem-
Dlance to our native Indians. Further
| burial spots are known to be located
in eaverns among the mountains ber-
dering the Yenisei river, which, how
ever, DR.. Hrdlicka was not able to in
vestigate.
| The most important part of the explor-
| alton and study was that pertaining to
| the living descendants of the old races.
Among these people the investigator was
| fortunate enough to come into contact
with representatives of many tribes from
| the banks of the Yenisei and Abacan
rivers, also Buriats, Mongolians. Tibet
ans Chinese and some Manchurians. He
was happily present at a great religious
ceremony at the Lamaist monasteries in
| the neighborhood of Urga, where 1000
Mongolans from all parts of the country
were In attendance.
| Among all these tribes and clans there
were individuals who apparently repre-
sent the older population, pre-Mongolian
and pre- Chinese, and who belong partly
| to the brachycephalic type, though In
smaller extent to the dolichocephalio
| type. These men and women are practi-
cally identical with the American Indians
of similar head form. The particular in
| dividuals are brown In color, with straight
black hair, dark brown eyes and facial
and bodily features which are strikingly
| like those OF the native American The
| men are practically beardless. Some of
| these people, if dressed in the costumes
and regalia of an Indian, and placed
among them, could not be distinguished
| from them. At least DR.. Hrdlicka states
| that there are no means at the disposal
/ Of the anthropologists by which to make
| such a distinction. 1t is not only In out
ward appearances that these natives OF
Siberia resemble the Indians, but mem
| tally as well, and In numerous habits
and customs which different environment
and time seem not to have effaced.