being about four-tenths of an inch in thickness, and the frontal bone, around the eminences,
not less than half an inch. The skull is of large capacity, and is remarkable for its length in
proportion to its breadth, belonging decidedly to the dolicho-cephalic. class of Retzius. The
form is slightly deficient in symmetry. The forehead is narrow, contracted, and rather
receding, but not low; a sort of central ridge is to be traced along the summit of the cranium,
which is most marked in front of the coronal suture, and falls away to a decidedly
flat surface above each temporal ridge. The very pyramidal aspect thus given to the front
view of the skull, is well shown in our figure. The parietal tubers are moderately prominent.
The occiput isiifull, prominent and rounded, and presents a strongly-marked transverse
ridge. The squamous and mastoid portions of the temporal bones are rather small;
the external auditory openings are situated farther than usual within the posterior half of
the skull. The frontal sinuses are very marked, and the glabella moderately prominent;
the nasal bones, of moderate size, project rather abruptly. The insertions of the muscles
of mastication are strongly marked, but neither the upper nor lower jaw is so large, rugged,
or angular as is often the case in skulls from ancient British tumuli. The malar bones are
rather small, and the zygomata, though long, are not particularly prominent. The ascending
branch of the lower jaw forms a somewhat obtuse angle with the body of that bone ; the
chin is poorly developed; the alveolar processes are short and small. In both jaws; most
of the incisor and canine teeth are wanting, but have evidently fallen out since death. The
molars and several of the bicuspids remain in their sockets. All the teeth are remarkably
worn down, and the molars, especially those of the lower jaw, have almost entirely lost their
crowns; indeed, as respects the lower first molars, nothing but the fangs remain, round
which abscesses had formed, leading to absorption and the formation of cavities in the
alveolar process. The worn surfaces of the t e e t h are not flat and horizontal, but slope away
obliquely, from without inwards, there being some tendency to concavity in the surfaces, of
the lower, and to convexity in those of the upper teeth. The former are more worn on the
outer, the latter on the inner „edge. Altogether, the condition is such as we must attribute
to a rude people, subsisting in great measure on the products of the chase and other animal
food—ill-provided with implements for its division, and bestowing little care on its preparation—
rather than to an agricultural tribe, living chiefly on corn and fruits.- Such, we have
reason to believe, was the condition of the early' British tribes.190 The state of these, at
least, contrasts decidedly with that observed in Anglo-Saxon crania, in which, though the
crowns of the teeth are often much reduced by attrition, the worn surfaces are, for the most
part, remarkably horizontal.”
Ia the same work, the reader will find a well-executed lithograph of
an Anglo-Saxon skull, which Dr. T h u r n am is inclined to consider as
belonging to the “ lower rather than the upper rank of West Saxon
settlers.”
“ The general form of the skull, viewed vertically,” says Dr. T., “ is an irregular lengthened
oval, so that it belongs to the dolicho-cephalic class, but is not a well-marked example
of that form. The general outline is smooth and gently undulating; the forehead is poorly
developed, being narrow, and but moderately elevated. The parietal eminences are tolerably
full and prominent. The temporal bones, and especially the mastoid processes, are small.
The occipital bone is full and rounded, and has a considerable projection posteriorly. The
frontal sinuses are slightly marked ; the nasal bones small, narrow, and but little recurved.
The bones of the face are small, the malar bones slightly prominent. The alveolar processes
190 Csesar’s words are, “ Interiores plerique frumenta non serunt, sed lacte et carne vivunt,
pellibusque sunt vestiti.” Lib. V., c. 14. Two or three centuries later, according to Dion
Cassius, the condition of the northern Britons was similar; the Caledonians and Meatse had
still no ploughed lands, but lived by pasturage and the chase. Xiphilon, lib. xxv., c. 12.
jf the superior maxillary bones (pnmaxillaries) are prominent, and deviate so considerably
from the upright form, as to place the skull rather in the prognathic than the orthognathic
class. The ramus of the lower jaw forms an obtuse angle with the body of this bone. The
chin is moderately full .”
The. so-called Anglo-Saxon race—a term which, for several reasons,
ought to he discarded from ethnological nomenclature—is represented
in. the Mortonian collection by four skulls. No. 80—the skull of an
English convict, named Gwillym,—belongs to the dolicho-cephalic
form, but is not strictly oval, being flattened posteriorly. In general
configuration, it resembles the Northern or Gothic style of head.
The face hears the Finnic stamp. No. 539—the skull of James
Moran, an Englishman, executed at Philadelphia for piracy and
murder —is long, flat on the top, and broad between the parietal
bones. The posterior portion' of the occiput is prominent, the basal
surface is flat. The face resembles that of Nos. 1063 and 1064__
Germans of Tubingen-while the calvaria approaches, in its general
outline, the kumbe-kephalic form above alluded to. No. 991 an
English soldier —belongs decidedly to the Cimbric type, briefly referred
to-on p. 291. No. 59—the skull of Pierce, a convict and cannibal
— is long and strictly oval. It resembles the Cimbric type.
The Anglo-American liaco another very objectionable term,
which, as applied to our heterogeneous population, means everything
and nothing — has but eight representatives in Morton’s collection.
Nos. 7 and 98 possess the angularly-round Germanic form. No. 24
— a woman, setat. 26 years — is intermediate in form between the
German and Swedish 1ypes, No. 552 — a man, setat. 30 years —
resembles the Norwegian described on page 290. No. 889—a man
setat. 40 years—resembles 552 in the shape of the calvaria, but has a
smaller face and less massive lower jaw. No. 1108 a male skull__
bears the Northern or Gothic form; the face resembles that of the
Tubingen Germans.191
The Anglo-Saxon race, according to M orton, differs from the
Teutonic in having a less spheroidal and more decidedly oval cranium.
“ I have not hitherto exerted myself to obtain crania of the Anglo-Saxon race, except in
the instance of individuals who have been signalized by their crimes; and this number is
too small to be of much importance in a generalization like the present. Yet, since these
skulls have be.en procured without any reference to their size, it is remarkable that,five give
an average of 96 cubic inches for the bulk of the brain; the smallest head measuring 91,
and the largest 105 cubic inches. It is necessary, however, to observe, that these are all
male crania; but, on the other hand, they pertained to the lowest class of society and
three of them died on the gallows for the crime of murder.”
191,1“ arranging the Mortonian collection, I have excluded from the Anglo-Saxons the
skull of a lunatic Englishman (No. 62); and -from the Anglo-Americans, several skulls of
unatics, idiots, children, hydrocephalic cases, &c. This rule has been adopted throughout
the whole collection. 6