826 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY I Boll. 137 



Bolivia. Again, all evidence indicates that man came into existence 

 in the Old World and probably not far from the cultural center above 

 described, while the New World is a relatively late colony. Culture 

 in the Old World in the section indicated thus had a longer period in 

 which to mature and time to reach a higher level. It is not surprising 

 to find that it did so. It is also not surprising to find that the higher 

 cultures tend to appear near these two centers if environmental condi- 

 tions permit. In the present instance eastern Asia is close to the 

 center of Old World culture, closer than any other of the climatic 

 regions we have been comparing and it is not surprising, therefore, that 

 its culture is the highest of all. Southeast Africa is much farther away 

 but was in time penetrated by the developed agricultural and pastoral 

 life originating probably in Asia. Southeast Australia, on the other 

 hand, is far removed from the higher Old World cultures and, what 

 is even more important, is separated from them by stretches of sea 

 and the more important obstruction of desert land in the northwest- 

 ern part of the continent. In America, the Gulf region and south- 

 eastern South America are about equally removed from the New 

 World apical center, but the jungles of the southern continent present 

 more of an obstacle to the distribution of the attainments of the 

 central area than did the few hundred miles of clear, if semi-arid, 

 land at the northwestern corner of the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, 

 there were relatively few natural interferences to coastal trade in 

 the latter while South American civilization was practically pro- 

 hibited from reaching any part of the eastern shores of that continent 

 by sea. If corn originated in southern Mexico as many believe, the 

 fact furnishes an additional reason for the greater maturity of Gulf 

 culture. Although Australia is nearer the higher center of culture 

 in the Old World and in so far has had superior advantages to the 

 New World areas, these were more than counterbalanced by the inac- 

 cessability of the continent and the inhospitable nature of the terri- 

 tory over which that culture would have had to spread. On comparing 

 the two New World areas with the one in south Africa, we find no 

 such striking difference in level. Seemingly, the fact that Bantus were 

 able to tap a more highly developed cultural center which com- 

 municated to them a knowledge of both farming and cattle raising, 

 was counterbalanced somewhat by their greater distance from the 

 center. This was particularly true as compared with the opportuni- 

 ties of our Gulf region, which upon the whole should, I believe, be 

 rated somewhat higher. In giving this relative allocation, no judg- 

 ment is involved of the capacities of the people themselves. The 

 analysis of the situation we have given rather tends to discount any 

 such conclusions regarding them. Had the Australians instead of the 

 Chinese, been so placed as to be able to avail themselves of accom- 



