VIII 



PRIMITIVE AGRICULTURAL RACES 



1. It is necessary first to explain what races will be considered. 

 The lower limit has already been made clear. As regards the 

 upper limit, some description has been given of the stage of 

 NeoHthic culture, and the races to be considered here are those 

 which may be in general compared with the Neolithic races. 

 The comparison can only be rough ; as we saw, the subsequent 

 evolution of culture was rapid ; metals came into use, and, 

 generally speaking, about the time of the first taking of metals 

 into use arose the first great empires. At this point we clearly 

 enter upon a new epoch and the upper limit in time is defined 

 by the rise of Eur- Asiatic civilization. We wish to study here 

 the conditions a;nterior to this step in the evolution of culture. 

 It so happens that this Eur- Asiatic culture has influenced in varying 

 degrees many of the races of Africa, Oceania, and Asia. The upper 

 limit among the races to be considered here is best defined by the 

 degree to which they have been influenced by this culture. 

 America stands apart as there has clearly been no influence of 

 this culture upon the races in that continent. But it should be 

 remembered that in some places in America a degree of culture 

 was reached which was probably higher than that to which any 

 Neolithic race attained.^ Nevertheless all the races of America 

 not already dealt with may be considered here. Many African 

 races are acquainted with the use of iron ; it has been suggested 

 that the knowledge of the use of this metal originated in Africa ; 

 this, however, is doubtful and the existence of this practice is 

 probably to be regarded as due to the spread of an element of 

 Eur-Asiatic culture. The use of the plough is also an example 

 of the spread of an element of this culture ; ^ roughly speaking 



^ Reference has been made in Chapter V to the use of metals in America. 

 Mr. Joyce, however, says that in spite of progress in this direction the Central 

 American races ' were living at the discovery practically in an age of stone ' 

 (Mexican Archaeology, p. 304). 



- The importance of the plough in agriculture has been emphasized by many 

 authors. See, for instance, Hahn, Die Entstehung der Pfiugkvltur. 



