Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 1.djvu/524

 dorsey] MUSEUMS OF CENTRAL EUROPE 4 6 5

earth, is lost to sight in these developmental and evolutionary series, and it is a question whether or not a great deal of time and material has been diverted in the attempt to show what as yet is but very imperfectly understood. A few series similar to those of the Oxford museum, such as fire-making, bark-cloth making, musical instruments, etc., are undoubtedly of the ut- most importance in their suggestiveness to the average museum visitor ; but it should be the object of the present generation of museum men to collect material from the different races of the earth, and to classify and exhibit it as such. Later, whenever any of these so-called evolutionary series may become desirable, the material being already at hand, it will be a matter of but little difficulty to select and mount the specimens. Before leav- ing this subject, however, I gladly acknowledge the fact that the Oxford museum is one of the most fascinating I have ever visited. The various series are so complete, so well selected, and so well labeled, that each case of objects attracts one's careful attention. I was impressed by the thought of the pleasure and satisfaction it would give one to read the delightful pages of Tylor's Early History of Mankind or Primitive Culture with the contents of this museum before him as illustrations.

The third division of anthropology, namely, archeology, or the study of mankind from the relics which he has left behind in prehistoric times, is well represented in several museums. The subject is especially well illustrated in two museums, but this is perhaps due to the fact that in these but little attention is paid to the other branches of anthropology. The Blackmore Museum of Salisbury contains one of the best selected and arranged col- lections of man's prehistoric relics that I have ever seen. Many other museums may possess much larger numbers of specimens from certain regions, but here it is possible to study the arche- ology of man in nearly every quarter of the globe. The Black- more Museum is of special interest to Americans, inasmuch as it contains the collections made by Squier and Davis in the Ohio

AM. ANTH. N. S M I— 30

�� �