PREFACE.
promoted and aided the design in various ways—alas ! many of them now passed out of the
hearing of mortal voices !—were it not so difficult to embrace all these friends, and to assign to
each his just meed of gratitude. Hence I am constrained to offer one general, sincere declaration
of satisfaction and of thankfulness, in addition to the obligations expressed in the body of
the work.
The distribution of the " Crania Britannica " has given a considerable impulse to the study
of craniology. The author of a projected " Crania Prisca " and a " Crania Typica," Mr. George
Busk, F.E.S., has had a grant made in his favoiu- for the publication of these works by the
British Association for the Advancement of Science. The redaction of a " Crania Italioa " has
occupied the attention of an able and very accomplished anthropologist of that classical land, for
some time; one learned and elaborate instalment of which may be considered to have been
already presented to the public The first portion of a " Crania Germanice 3Ieridionalis Occidentalis"
by Professor Alexander Ecker, has been published by aid from the Ministry of the
Grand Duchy of Baden. And a complete " Crania Helvetica " has abeady seen the light t. A
" Crania Gallica " has been spoken of, and other works, designed to illustrate the types of
the national skulls of different peoples, are in all probability to follow.
The growth and extension of this work in almost every department, as it progressed,
whereby it has far exceeded the model on which it was formed (the " Crania Americana " of
Morton), the very seriously increased cost of its production, and the much larger amount of
study and of time expended upon it than was at first contemplated are aU circumstances to
which its mode of issue by subscription has contributed, and which would have been wholly
incompatible with ordinary publication, where any pecuniary profit is the object. It is hoped
that the result will be attended with satisfaction to the Subscribers and B-eaders. The
termination of the labours, the anxieties, and the pleasures of so many years, now brought
about, cannot be consummated without emotion—an emotion which has interminglings not
whoUy unmournful, nor by any means without gratification.
larged in Dr. Daniel "Wilson's " Hints for the formation of a
Canadian Collection of Ancient Crania," which were inserted
in the 'Canadian Journal' for October 1855, and reprinted
as a separate sheet for general circulation. For the purpose
of procuring materials for Chapter A^IL, I subsequently, in
1860, printed a paper, entitled " A few Ethnological Queries,
to serve as a Guide in Collecting Information respecting the
Inhabitants of the British Islands." Copies of this paper
were sent by myself and others to persons who had opportunities
for aiding the inquiry; and many serviceable replies
were obtained.
* La Stirpe Ligure in Italia ne' tempi antichi e ne' moderni.
Per Giustiniano Nicolucci. 1864, 4to.
f In the " Crania Helvetica" the unpleasing method, considered
to be more accurate, of geometrically projected outhnes
has been adopted; a large number of plates of skulls are given
of the full size, which have been referred, in the naturalhistory
method, by the zealous and well-instructed authors to
Shelton, Hanley, Staffordshire,
New Year's Day, 1865.
five leading Types. It may be regretted that so many of the
specimens delineated are imperfect, some almost fragments,
and especially that those from the Pfahlbauten, or Lake
Dwelhngs, are in this condition—so much so, that it is difficult
to determine what degree of resemblance, if any, they
offer to the cranial remains of the ancient Britons and Gauls.
I have been cheered by the recent receipt of the handsome
volume, into which the Ethnological "Writings of Ketzins have
been collected by the zealous care of his amiable son, Herre
Gustaf Retzius. The preparation of this work has been
alluded to in the Description of the Nisibost skull, PI. 48,
p. (6). Besides the original Swedish edition, brought out
under the supervision of Professor Gustaf von Düben, it appears
in a German translation, enriched with Gustaf Retzius's
notes, and both with excellent illustrations lithographed from
his own photographs, under the title of " Ethnologische
Schriften von Anders Retzius," 1864, 4to.
(J. B. D.)
t !
I
I
C O N T E N T S
O P VOLUME I.
TEXT.
Page
DEDICATION
PEEFACE V
CHAPTER I.—Introduction 1
„ II.—Views of preceding Observers 13
„ III.—Anatomical Explanations 27
IV.—Distortions of the SkuU 34
„ V.—Historical Ethnology of Britain 44
1. Geological and Palajontological Preliminaries 44
2. Earliest Inhabitants—whether Turanian or Arian, Iberian or Celtic 52
3. Earliest Historical liotices—Britain as known to the Phoenicians and Greeks 59
4. Britain as known to the Romans GG
Mode of Life, Moral Characteristics and Manners GG
Dwellings, Eortifications, Architecture, Interiors, &c 71
Clothing, Personal Decorations, Ornaments 75
Armour and Military Equipment 85
MetaUurgic and other Arts; Basket-work; Pottery 99
Navigation, Trade, and Coinage 108
Religious Institutions, Temples, Mythology, &c 113
Language and Letters 135
5. Conclusions 142
VI,—Ethnographical Sketch of the Successive Populations of the British Islands loG
„ VII.—Sketch of the present Population of the British Islands, showing its Ethnological Relations to its
Antecessors 199
,, VIII.—On the Measurements of Ancient British, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and other Skulls 220
„ IX.—Conclusion 226
TABLES OE MEASUREMENTS OE SKULLS 239
T.\BLE I.—Revised Table of Measurements of 35 Skulls of Ancient Britons, &c., engraved and described in the
" Crania Britannica " 240
,, II.—Table of Measurements of 111 Skulls of Ancient Britons, &c., not engraved in the " Crania
Britannica" 242
,, III.—Mcasui'cments of 46 Skulls of Aboriginal People of Sweden and Denmark 246
„ IV.—Revised Table of Measurements of 8 Skulls of Ancient Romans and Romano-Britons, engraved in the
" Crania Britannica " 248
,, V.—Table of Measm-ements of 43 SkuUs of Ancient Romans and Romano-Britons, not engraved in the
" Crania Britannica " 250
„ VI.—Revised Table of Measurements of 11 Skulls of Anglo-Saxons, engraved in the Crania Britannica " 248
„ VII.—Tabic of Measiu'ements of 50 Skulls of Anglo-Saxons, not engraved in the " Crania Britannica " . . . . 252
„ VIII.—Revised Table of Measiu'cments of 3 Skulls of Ancient Scandinavians, engraved in the " Crania
Britannica" 248