on the Saxon Race, 257 connection with the Anthropologi- Knox, Dr., on the Celtic Race, 175 Archaic Anthropology, by Gastaldi Congress of, 203 the International Brain of a Negro of Guinea, the, 279 Report of the Transactions On ancient cave men, 408 Crania Britannica, by J. Barnard Lesley, T. P., on the origin and des- Lubbock, Sir John, Bart, the early Nilsson, Prof., on the stone age in Owen, Prof., on comparative anatomy Page, Dr. David, on man, in his na- Physio-Anthropology at Edinburgh, 64 Pike, L. Owen, What is a Teuton ? 246 a letter from, on Anthropo- cker, Prof. Alex., form of the female Grecian Anthropology, 154 Hunt, Dr. James, on the localisation Inman, Thomas, M.D., on theological Intelligence in relation to Instinct, pology of Persia, 27 THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL REVIEW. No. XX. JANUARY, 1868. THE EARLY CONDITION OF MAN.* By Sir JOHN LUBBOCK, Bart., F.R.S., President of the Entomological Society. In addition to the different opinions which have always been held as to whether man constitutes one or many species, there are two very different views as to the primitive condition of the first men, or first beings, worthy to be so called. Many writers have considered that man was at first a mere savage, and that our history has on the whole been a steady progress towards civilisation, though at times, and at some times for centuries, the race has been stationary, or even has retrograded. Other authors of no less eminence have taken a diametrically opposite view. According to them, man was from the commencement pretty much what he is at present: if possible, even more ignorant of the arts and sciences than now, but with mental qualities not much inferior to our own. Savages they consider to be the degenerate descendants of far superior ancestors. Of the recent supporters of this theory, the late Archbishop of Dublin was amongst the most eminent. In the present memoir I propose briefly to examine the reasons which led Dr. Whately to this conclusion, and still more briefly to notice some of the facts which seem to me to render it untenable. Dr. Whately enunciates his opinions in the following words :-"That we have no reason to believe that any community ever did, or ever can, emerge, unassisted by external helps, from a state of utter barbarism, into anything that can be called civilisation. Man has not emerged from the savage state; the progress of any * Read before the British Association at Dundee, 1867. VOL. VI.--NO. XX. B |