34G 



HINTS FOR THE FORMATION OP A CANADIAN COLLECTION OF ANCIENT CRANIA. 



[1855 



ing ten lithographic plates, accompanied with a descriptive 

 narrative, giving the history of each exhumation, an account of 

 any antiquities disinterred with it, and also, when necessary, 

 illustrations of such, along with exact measurements of the 

 skulls, similar to those furnished by Dr. Morton, 'ihc collec- 

 tions of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the Phrenolo- 

 gical Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Academy of Dublin, 

 and of various other scientific bodies, have been placed at the 

 service of the authors, and both the Royal Society of London 

 and the British Association for the advancement of Science 

 have granted pecuniary aid towards the requisite investigations. 



When the importance of such evidences of the physical 

 characteristics both of extinct and living races, in relation to 

 historical investigation, is thus becoming so widely appreciated, 

 it appears to be desirable that Canada should not lag behind in 

 the good work. Such a collection of native Crania as that 

 with which Dr. Morton has enriched the Cabinet of the Aca- 

 demy of Sciences of Philadelphia, would form a valuable addi- 

 tion to the museum of the Canadian Institute, and many 

 facilities undoubtedly exist for its attainment. Every year 

 agricultural operations are extending into new districts, and 

 breaking up virgin soil. In the progress of clearing the 

 ancient forests, and bringing the land into cultivation, places 

 of sepulture must frequently be invaded, where the re- 

 mains of the long-buried chief lie undisturbed, alongside of 

 specimens of the rude arts which furnish proofs of the con- 

 dition of society to which he belonged. Railway and other 

 operations are in like manner leading to numerous extensive 

 excavations in regions hitherto untouched by the spade or 

 plough ; and these also must frequently expose to view similar 

 relics of the ancient or more recently displaced aborigines. It 

 is scarcely to be hoped that the rude railway navvy, or even 

 the first agricultural explorers of the wild lands of the North 

 and West, will greatly interest themselves in objects of 

 scientific curiosity ; but now that the members of the Cana- 

 dian Institute are scattered over nearly every district of the 

 Province, it may be hoped they will be found prepared for 

 hearty cooperation in all such objects, and that by such means 

 the museum of the Institute may become, through time, an 

 object of just pride and interest to the community at large. 



Ill many cases the condition in which the skulls and other 

 remains of the former occupants of our Canadian clearings are 

 found, is such as to present no obstacle to their ready trans- 

 mission for the purpose in view. It is to be noted, however, 

 that the more ancient such remains are, they are likely to 

 possess the greater interest and value. No indications have 

 yet been noticed of a race in Canada corresponding to the 

 Brachy-kephalic or square-headed mound builders of the Miss- 

 issippi, and the discovery of such would furnish an addition 

 of much importance to our materials for the pi'imeval history of 

 the Great Lake districts, embracing Canada West. Such re- 

 mains, if found at all, are likely to be in a very fragile state, 

 and will require much care in their removal. As it is not to 

 be doubted that zealous cooperators in the object here referred 

 to will be found among the members of the Institute, it may 

 not be altogether useless to add a few hints relative to the 

 collecting and preserving such ancient remains. It is not to 

 be overlooked indeed, that the entire skeleton, as well as the 

 skull, frequently presents features of interest and value, as 

 evidence of peculiar distinctions of race, or as traces of habits 

 and conditions of life, to those who have made such remains 

 their special study. It is manifestly, however, only under 

 very lafe and peculiar circumstances that it can be expedient 



or even desirable to have the entire skeleton preserved. But 

 the decision of this point must be left to each explorer. 



In the first place then, let it be noted that it is desirable to 

 possess the whole of the bones of the head and face, including 

 the lower jaw and the teeth. The slender and fragile bones of 

 the nose are of special importance, and when remaining in their 

 place should be carefully protected from injury. In all cases 

 they are highly characteristic, and in none more so than in the 

 races of American Indians, whose strongly marked profiles 

 derive their chief character from the prominence and peculiar 

 form of the nose. It is also to be observed in the case of 

 remains found under circumstances indicative of great antiquity, 

 and consequently possessing peculiar value for the purposes in 

 view, that though the bones may be wholly disjointed and even 

 fractured, if the whole, or the greater number of the fragments 

 be collected, and carefully packed so as to protect them from 

 further injury, it may be quite possible to rejoin them, and so 

 reconstruct the ancient cranium. The following incident de- 

 rived from the experience of Dr. Morton, may suffice as an 

 illustration of this : — 



In the summer of 1842, a friend of his met in New York 

 the well known American traveller, Mr. John S. Stevens, then 

 recently returned from his second visit to Yucatan. The con- 

 versation turning upon Crania, Mr. Stevens regretted the de- 

 struction of all he had collected during his travels in conse- 

 quence of their extreme brittleness. One skeleton he had 

 hoped to save, but on unpacking it that morning, it was found 

 so dilapidated that he had ordered it to be thrown away. A 

 sight of it was immediately requested, — it was secured in its 

 fragmentary and apparently hopeless condition, and forwarded 

 to Dr. Morton. Its condition may be inferred from the fact 

 that the entire skeleton was tied up in a small handkerchief, 

 and carried from New York to Philadelphia in a hat-box. 

 The next day, however. Dr. Morton was found with a gluepot 

 beside him, industriously engaged in an effort to reconstruct 

 the skull. A small piece of the occiput served as a basis, upon 

 which he put together all the posterior portion of the cranium, 

 showing it by characteristic marks to be that of an adult 

 female. From the condition of another portion of the skele- 

 ton he derived evidence of a pathological fact of considerable 

 moment, when viewed in relation to the antiquity indicated 

 by the accompanying relics, and the peculiar circumstances 

 under which this skeleton had been found ; and the results of 

 his observations, which have been published by Mr. Stevens 

 in the narrative of his second visit to Yucatan, suffice to show 

 how much interesting and valuable information may be deduced 

 by the intelligent student of science from what, to the ordinary 

 observer, would appear to be a mere handful of rubbish. 



In Canada it is to be presumed that, in the great majority of 

 cases, such remains will be discovered by chance, and their 

 preservation from further injury in the hands of their original 

 exhumers will be more a matter of accident than design. By 

 and by, however, we may hope to create an intelligent interest 

 in this department of scientific inquiry, and so find zealous ex- 

 plorers of the sepulchral chronicles of Canada, as well as of 

 those of Egypt, Britain, or Central America. To such, a few 

 additional hints may be of value. 



Whether it be a grave-mound, ossuary, or cemetery, that is 

 being explored, the ruder instruments of excavation, such as 

 the pick-axe and spade, should be laid aside as soon as any 

 portion of a skull or skeleton has been exposed. The whole 

 must then be cleared from the surrounding eartli bv means of 



