Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-07-04
ORIGIN OF RED man
Attempts Made to Prove he
Came From Siberia.
Explorations Show That the American
Indian 10 Like the Yelloweerown
Inhabitant Of Asia and
Polynesia. ssa


late good deal before the public. ID
that of the origin of the American
aborigine, in other words, the native
Indian. In this connection the recenG
investigations of DR.. Ales Hrdlicka.
curator OF physical anthropology, MAJ
tional museum, tend to prove thtat tha
native American immigrated to thfaI
country in a postglacial period. and Isl
a representative Of the overflow rom
northeastern Siberia, where he fS
closely related both mentally and ply
sically to tho yellow-brown peoples OF
Asia and Polynesia, says the Scientific
American.
Among the interesting sites ex-
plored by DR.. Hrdlicka are the burial
mounds, or "kourgans.' as they are
called, located on the banks OF the
Yenisei and Selenga rivers and their
tributaries, and along the streams OF
northern Mongolia, especially on the
banks of the Kerulen. ..
Oddly enough the date OF the
mounds is established quite as readily
as If the date of construction we're
carved on stone, foY the different oo-
jects uncovered be they gold, "copper"
iron, bronze or stone, identify the ORR
gin of the particular mound from
which they came as falling within DEL
mite time limits. Most of the "kour-
gans" appear to represent nearly re-
cent times, corresponding to Ugrian or
Turk or Tartar" elements, as well as
modern Monaghan. The skulls or the
skeletons taken from these more re-.
cent mounds are of the brachycephalic
type. short, somewhat spherical skulls,
which occasionally closely resemnle
the same form of American crania.
but the "kourgans" OF earlier date
containing no mental objects. YIELD
skulls resembling the dolichocephallc
type, long and narrow, and much like
American Indian skulls OF this type.
It Is difficult to assert to just what
race the older skeletons and skulls be-
longs, and yet, on the banks of the low,
er Yenisel river, and in several other
localities, living dolichocephalic types
are not unusual, and such natives fire.
quently bear strong physical resem-
blance to our native Indians. Further
burial spots are known to be located
in caverns among the mountains bor-
dering the Yenisei river. which, how
ever, DR.. Hrdlicka was not able to IN
vestigate. ...-.>.. ...sr
The most important part of the ex-
ploration and study was that pertain
ing to the living descendants OF the
old races. Among these people the IN
vestigator was fortunate enough TO
come into contact with representatives
of many tribes from the banks OF the
Yenisei and Abacan rivers; also Huri-
ats. Mongolians, Tibetans, Chinese
and some Manchurians. He was nap
ply present at great religious cere-
| mony at the Lamaist monasteries In
the neighborhood of Urga, where 7,oOO
Mongolians from all parts of the coun-
try were in attendance.
! Among all these tribes and clans
there were individuals who apparently
represent the older population, pre-
Monaghan and pre-Chinese, and who
belong partly to the brachycephalic
tyne. though in smaller extent to the
dolichocephalic type. These men and
women are practically identical with
the American Indians of similar head
form. The particular individuals 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, il dressed in the cos.
tunes and regalia Of an Indian, and
placed among them, could not be dis
tinguished from them. At least DR..
Hrdlicka states that there are no
means at the disposal Of the anthropol.
ogist by which to make such a distinc-
ton. It is not only in outward ap'
pearance that these natives OF Siberia
resemble the Indians, but mentally as
we'll. and in numerous habits and Gus.
toms which different environment
and time seem not to have effaced.