DEPARTMENT OF PREHISTORIC ANTHROPOLOGY. 319 



Bere was born the new science of prehistoric anthropology, and 

 since then it lias not only been recognized as a science, but whenever 



ami wherever it has been studied and understood, it has increased in 

 dignity and importance. 



KNOWLEDGE OP PREHISTORIC MAN EARLIER IN AMERICA THAN EUROPE. 



I have said that the civilized world had, until the beginning of the 

 nineteenth century, lived without knowledge of prehistoric man, and 

 without even a suspicion of Ins existence. This is more true in Europe 

 than in America. The knowledge of prehistoric man began on this 

 continent several hundred years before it did in Europe. Columbus 

 formed his acquaintance on the discovery of America. The white man 

 upon arriving beheld the prehistoric man face to face, and had ample 

 opportunities for knowing, studying, and finding out everything that 

 was discoverable from contact with him. Though many books have 

 been written about the prehistoric man of America, and their authors 

 have described him as they saw him, yet we know but little of his true 

 nature. The scientific study of this subject has begun only of late 

 years, and we are still ignorant concerning his history or life prior to 

 the discovery of America in 1402; whence became, to what race he be- 

 longed, or what were his habits, customs, or monuments. We are even 

 wanting in knowledge of those things peculiar to him since that time, 

 and which have been manifested to us in every period of our contact 

 with him. The study of his language, sociology, religion, mythology, 

 has but just commenced. Many have written descriptions of their visits 

 to the Red Man of North America, have given histories of their travels, 

 and have written entertaining books on the subject. But these have 

 largely been fugitive, isolated, and without connection with any other 

 than the tribe visited, the voyage described, or the travel undertaken. 

 Nor was there any connection proposed between those writers who 

 might have taken up the same line of investigation with other tribes or 

 in other parts of the country. I would not dwarf or belittle the labors or 

 discoveries of our pioneers ; but, conceding for them all that their friends 

 can claim, they have done but little toward giving an accurate or com- 

 prehensive anthropologic and ethnologic history of the North American 

 Indians. As to their history in prehistoric times, before Columbus, no 

 attempt was made by these historians. Collections have been made of 

 the implements of the North American Indian, and large prehistoric 

 museums established in nearly all parts of the United States, beginning 

 back a hundred years or more, which arc and will be of great interest 

 and value in writing such a history. Bui in the majority of these cases 

 the work has been that of collectors, sometimes for commerce, but more 

 often co gratify that thirsl for things of antiquity which seems a part 

 of the second nature of mankind. A study of anthropology will he 

 scarcely claimed by any one as the motive on which these collections 



were based. So. while we Lave had an earlier knowledge in America 



