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DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY. 
Nature and Purpose of Collections.— The collections 
brought together in the Department of Anthropology are intended 
mainly to illustrate the more primitive or uncivilized phases of the 
development of the human race. There are two well-marked di- 
visions of the subject, and the materials illustrating them are sep- 
arately installed. One relates to man himself, to his physical and 
mental constitution and powers, and the other to the works of his 
hands, to the visible phenomena of culture. 
The first division consists of apparatus used in studying the 
greatly varied physical phenomena, and^of extensive collections 
of crania, casts and other objects, articles and materials, illustrat- 
ing the physical characteristics of the race. These exhibits are 
arranged in the gallery of the East Court. 
The second division comprises^very extensive exhibits of the 
handiwork of man, which are placed on the main floor of the 
courts and the halls of the* southeast section of the building. 
The works of living or historic peoples, are for the most part, 
assembled according to the tribe or nation to which they pertain; 
those of prehistoric peoples are brought together in groups accord- 
ing to the locality from which they are derived, or to the people, 
time, or stage of progress they are thought to represent, or, other" 
wise, with reference to some other special subject to be illustrated. 
The various groups thus indicated are placed in the halls in 
an order corresponding as far as possible with their original geo- 
graphic relations. In this way the various objects and articles, 
and through them the people represented, are conveniently stud- 
ied and compared. It is also possible, with this arrangement, to 
illustrate the striking and profound effect of environment—the 
local animal, vegetal and mineral resources and the varied geo- 
graphic and climatic conditions— upon the people and culture of 
each region. 
