640 THE ORIGIN OF AFRICAN CIVILIZATIONS. 



Our first aim, then, should be to become acquainted with the devel- 

 opment of the products of a given form of civilization, and it is 

 attained by means of culture-anatomy, as illustrated in Petermann's 

 Mitteilungen. 



This initial step in the work of investigating is bound to lead to the 

 desired goal, if we succeed in presenting the peculiarity of the material 

 on the one side and the form and nature of the object on the other, so 

 as to make it appear that the object grew out of the material as a 

 necessary consequence. Frequently the question of origin is solved 

 with the determination of the province in which the material is indig- 

 enous. Other forms of civilization adopt the object and fashion it of 

 other material. The student may thus have to travel along the same 

 road again and again. 



After the elements of a given form of civilization have been defined, 

 culture physiology follows as a second part of the investigation. It 

 can easily be demonstrated that differences in geographic position con- 

 dition differences in the phenomena of civilization. Not only does an 

 island race differ from the races of the mainland in its means of support, 

 but it is peculiar as to social conditions, weapons, etc. The problem 

 is complicated by the fact that local material gives rise to a series of 

 utensils and ornaments whose existence is due solely to the material, 

 and which are replaced by other products when the culture in question 

 is transplanted. The forms remain, the material changes, and again 

 the investigator must retrace the path to the point of departure. 



In the following it will be my endeavor to make this outline more 

 intelligible by means of illustrations. 



2. Our investigation of culture- anatomy may begin with African 

 drum forms. By far the larger part of African drums consist of a log 

 scooped out, one or both ends covered with hide. We need not enter 

 into details here, and I do no more than state the fact that the Indo- 

 nesian method of bracing drums reappears on the West African coast. 

 Besides these commonest drum forms, others occur made entirely of 

 a log, hewn round or with angles; in the latter case usually wedge- 

 shaped, the broad surface resting on the ground. The logs are hol- 

 lowed out within through a cleft, made always on the broad side. Often 

 the cleft is enlarged at its ends, the enlargement forming a round aper- 

 ture in the drums of the Congo, an angle in those of the Cameroons. 

 The famous signaling or telegraph drums of the Cameroons belong to 

 this class. The drums covered with hide are found throughout the 

 whole of Africa, with the exception of its southernmost part, but the 

 wooden drums occur only in the Congo Basin and in Upper and Lower 

 Guinea. The hide-covered drums are a development of the famous 

 millet mortar, which points to East India. The civilization of the Medi- 

 terranean shores has similar drums made of clay, and related to those 

 found in Persia and in prehistoric tombs of Germany. Now, the wooden 

 drums belong to the Malayo-Negrito elements of African culture. They 



