ANClENTf AND MOflEitiJ Cfitf. 58! 



the oldest historical races having been preceded by others, not only 

 one of easy reception, but almost a necessary consequence of the evi-* 

 dence. But leaving altogether out of view the traces of the 

 t)rift or CavC'Man, and dwelHng exclusively on the cranial evidence 

 derived from regular sepulture, the proofs of physical and ethnical 

 diversity are as striking as those which distinguish living races of very 

 diverse character. When, moreover, the craniologist, already fami- 

 liar with the cranial type of the later pagan barrows, proceeds to de- 

 termine that of the British Celt of any period subsequent to the Saxon 

 invasion, he is compelled to classify it apart from the brachycephalic 

 type of the Anglo-Roman period. I can scarcely conceive of this 

 being disputed by any experienced observer ; whatever inferences may 

 be derived from the fact. It may be (I.) that the brachycephalic 

 skull of the barrows is not the true Celtic type 3 or (2.) the difference 

 observable in the modern Celtic head may be consequent on altered 

 diet, habits, on cerebral and intellectual development; or (3.) the 

 modern representative may be no pure Celt, but variously affected by 

 intermixture of Roman, (in its widest sense, i-e. not merely Italian, 

 but continental,) Saxon, Norse, Danish, and Norman blood ; or (4.), 

 all of those causes may have combined to produce the results in ques- 

 tion. 



In discussing the physical attributes of the Celtic race, Dr. Prichard 

 asks : " Was there anything peculiar in the conformation of the head 

 in the British and Gaulish races ?" and thus replies : " I do not remem-- 

 her that any peculiarity of features has been observed by Roman writers 

 in either Gauls or Britons. There are probably in existence sufficient 

 means for deciding this inquiry in the skulls found in old British 

 Cairns or places of sepulture. I have seen about half-a-dozen skulls 

 found in different parts of England, in situations which rendered it 

 highly probable that they belonged to ancient Britons. All these 

 partook of one striking characteristic, viz. J a remarkable narrowness 

 of the forehead compared with the occiput, giving a very small space 

 for the anterior lobes of the brain, and allowing room for a large de- 

 velopement of the posterior lobes. There are some modern English 

 and Welsh heads to be seen of a similar form, but they are not 

 numerous."* But not only did Prichard thus recognise the essential 

 disagreement between the brachycephalic head of the barrows and 

 that of the modern British Celt ; but he haa also indicated his recog- 



'Researches into the Physical History of Mankind : l*hird Ed. tol. III. 



