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History of anthropology

Chapter 2: PREFACE
By Alfred C. Haddon
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About This Book

The author traces the development of anthropological inquiry from early anatomical and classificatory work through nineteenth-century craniology, anthropometry, and debates over human origins, discussing methods, key theorists, and controversies such as polygenism versus monogenism. He surveys evidence for ancient and fossil humans, comparative and folk psychology, and systems for racial classification and distribution. Attention then shifts to cultural anthropology, outlining sources and methods of ethnology, the role of travellers and missionaries, and the emergence of archaeology via flint finds, cave and lake-dwelling discoveries. The account summarizes the discipline’s evolving methods, measurements, and interpretive frameworks across its principal subfields.

PREFACE

It is with great diffidence that we offer this little book to the public, it being, so far as we are aware, the first attempt at a history of Anthropology. A book of small size which deals with so vast a subject, comprising, as it does, so many different studies, cannot satisfy the specialists in the several departments. In many branches the investigations are so recent that they can hardly be said to have a history, and in some cases their originators are still alive. Doubtless many will criticise the amount of space allocated to certain authors, and wonder why others have been omitted or have received but scanty recognition. All we can say in extenuation for our selection is that the task has been by no means an easy one, and we have partly been guided by the fact that our readers will mainly be of British nationality. It has been impossible to mention all of the more important of living workers, whether investigators, collectors, or systematisers; but this is not due to any lack of appreciation of their labours. In most cases references are given in the text; a few supplemental works will be found in the Bibliography at the end of the book. The two dates which follow a name refer to the years of the individual’s birth and death; a single date refers to the date of publication of the book or memoir.

We hope we have in all cases referred to the authors to whom we are indebted for information; and for personal assistance we desire to thank Dr. C. S. Myers, of Gonville and Caius College; Mr. E. E. Sikes, Tutor of St. John’s College, Cambridge; and Mr. Edward Clodd.

A. C. H.

October, 1910.