Bücher der Reihe Cambridge Library Collection - Anthropology

As a left-hander, the archaeologist and anthropologist Daniel Wilson (1816-92) was interested to discover as many left-handed Stone Age implements as right. In 1891 he published the results of his studies of left-handedness, which he concludes is hereditary and relates to the dominance of one hemisphere of the brain.

Orphaned by the age of four, George Chaworth Musters (1841-79) joined the Royal Navy at thirteen, served with distinction during the Crimean War, and reached the rank of commander. Having been stationed on the coast of South America, during which time he read up on Darwin's voyage in the Beagle, he pursued in 1869 his aim of travelling through the south of the continent. In this 1871 publication, which earned him the nickname 'the king of Patagonia', Musters records the year he spent among native Patagonians, covering almost 1,400 miles. He gives a detailed account of their customs and daily life, particularly the manners, dress, hunting practices and methods of battle of the Tehuelche people. Featuring a number of vivid engravings, the book did much to reveal this land to Europeans. It remains an instructive text in the history of South American exploration and anthropology.

The physician and ethnographer Edward Shortland (1812-93) first travelled to New Zealand in 1841, a year after the Treaty of Waitangi. He became private secretary to Governor William Hobson, and quickly learned the Maori language. First published in 1851, this book describes Shortland's experiences on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island while conducting a census of the local Maori settlements in 1843. It documents South Island Maori myths, traditions and everyday life, and includes genealogical tables and a short word-list of the local dialect. It also describes a French Company agent at Akaroa reporting the successful introduction of French vines, the Scottish settlement at Dunedin, and the productivity of several whaling stations. Shortland reminds prospective settlers of the importance of understanding the 'ideas and prejudices' of the Maori, whose many qualities including 'natural bravery and love of freedom' guarantee them continuing 'political weight in their own country'.

First published in 1882, Edward Shortland's study is an important account of Maori mythology, religion and concepts of authority. Shortland (1812-93), an English-born physician and ethnographer, first arrived in New Zealand in 1841 to work for the newly formed colonial government. He later served as a government interpreter, Sub-Protector of Aborigines, and Native Secretary during his time in New Zealand and spent much of his career interacting with Maori. This concise book is the result of years of careful research into Maori beliefs and customs, based on narratives and songs dictated to Shortland, or written down for him to translate. It includes a particularly detailed account of Maori cosmogony, lists of Maori vocabulary relating to kinship and to the spirit world, several karakia (prayers) and extensive notes on the naming and claiming of land and the Maori understanding of land tenure.

Edith Simcox (1844-1901) was a prominent British feminist, social critic and prolific writer. She published many articles and essays advocating support for women's right to education, improved working conditions and suffrage. Her scholarly works in philosophy and economic history sought to demonstrate that contemporary capitalism was not the only route to a prosperous society. Her articles appeared in many periodicals and among her books are Natural Law (1877) and the two-volume Primitive Civilizations (1894), both also reissued in this series. Simcox was an admirer and friend of the novelist George Eliot (1819-80), and her second book, published in 1882, is a collection of essays on a range of subjects, some of which were inspired by events in Eliot's life. Simcox uses her writings to explore melancholy, love, loss and longing through stories and sketches. For more information on this author, see http://orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=simced

Stephenson Percy Smith (1840-1922) was a New Zealand ethnologist and surveyor. As a young man, he travelled six hundred miles exploring the volcanic interior of North Island, and had many interactions with the Maori population, whose language, history and traditions fascinated him throughout his career as a government surveyor. In 1892 he co-founded the Polynesian Society, in whose journal this study originally appeared. The first book edition was published in 1898, and this third, updated edition in 1910. Using indigenous sources gathered in Polynesia and New Zealand, Smith constructed an elaborate history of the Polynesians, and argued that they were ultimately descended from Aryan ancestors in India. His theory of Maori origins was accepted by several generations of scholars, but was eventually superseded by modern historical and archaeological research. However, his pioneering work, acclaimed in its day, still provides fascinating insights into both nineteenth-century Polynesian culture and colonial ethnography.

This historical and anthropological account of the Maori of New Zealand was published in 1854 by the English physician and colonial administrator Edward Shortland (1812-93). Shortland was deeply interested in Maori culture, learned the language, and wrote ethnographic studies including The Southern Districts of New Zealand (1851) and Maori Religion and Mythology (1882), also included in this series. In various roles including 'Protector of Aborigines', he often served as interpreter, and played an active role in mediating not only between Europeans and Maori, but between different Maori factions. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Shortland's approach was to interact with the Maori rather than merely observe them. In this book, Shortland often cites named Maori individuals as his sources, which makes his treatment of topics such as tapu, land tenure and rites of passage distinctive. He also covers Maori cosmology and origin narratives, genealogies, education, proverbs, songs and spells.

Cyril Crossland (1878-1943) was Director of the Sudan Pearl Fishery between 1905 and 1922. At this time, the British colonial government had taken charge of running the fishery, with local fishermen as employees. A marine biologist and zoologist, Crossland was praised in his obituary in the journal Nature as 'one of the last explorer-naturalists of the Darwin type'. This book is both an account of his life in the Sudan and a scientific survey of the coral reefs on the Red Sea coast. It offers a lively description of the region, its people and customs, and a clear, accessible explanation of the development of coral reefs. In Crossland's time this region had not been fully mapped by Western explorers and this study was an important contribution to knowledge. The book is illustrated with many of Crossland's own photographs of landscapes and people and his diagrams of the coral reefs.

C. W. Hobley (1867-1947) was a colonial administrator who was stationed in Kenya between 1894 and 1921. Following the implementation of Indirect Rule in Kenya, indigenous law and custom were followed in political and judicial proceedings, with the colonial administration requiring a working knowledge of traditional customs. This book contains information collected by C. W. Hobley during his tenure as administrator of Nyanza Province and was first published in 1910 as part of the Cambridge Archaeological and Ethnological Series. This detailed ethnography was the first systematic survey of the Kamba people, and provides a comprehensive description of their traditional society, cultural practices and political and economic life. A description of the social organization of the Masai people is also provided. This volume contains views on ethnicity which were acceptable at the time it was first published.

N. W. Thomas (1868-1936) was one of the first government anthropologists of the colonial era and published one of the first studies of central African languages. This book, written in the early stages of his career, is a study of kinship structures in indigenous Australian peoples, and was first published as part of the Cambridge Archaeological and Ethnological Series in 1906. Thomas develops and defines fundamental anthropological concepts used today - such as consanguinity as a distinct term affecting descent, status and duties in a society - and emphasises the importance of seeing kinship terms as a social description, instead of merely describing biological relationships. His deconstruction of Lewis H. Morgan's theory of social evolution is also of interest for constructing a historiography of social anthropology. This volume contains views on ethnicity which were acceptable at the time it was first published.

Bertha S. Phillpotts (1863-1932) was an English historian and linguist of Scandinavia who served as the Director of Scandinavian Studies in the University of Cambridge from 1926 to 1932. First published as part of Cambridge Archaeological and Ethnological Series in 1913, this pioneering and highly influential book contains a detailed examination of kinship structures in northern Europe during the early medieval period. In this work, Phillpotts analyses the laws and literature of seven northern European countries to explore the kinship structure of their ancient societies. The references to the legal concept of 'weregild' and the description of gender hierarchies, together with the range of evidence examined, cause this work to remain of considerable relevance for the understanding of kinship systems in medieval Germanic and Scandinavian societies.

A physician and psychotherapist, W. H. R. Rivers (1864-1922) was also interested in anthropology. In 1901-2 he studied the genealogies and customs of the Todas, inhabitants of a high plateau in south-west India. This illustrated book, published in 1906, was regarded as a standard ethnography for half a century.

Though professionally a banker and politician, John Lubbock (1834-1913) is best remembered for his scientific contributions. Tutored as a boy by Charles Darwin, Lubbock later used evolutionary theory to explain the development of human civilisations. This 1870 anthropological work compares ancient social structures with those of contemporary primitive cultures.

Published in 1932 by John Henderson Soga (1860-1941), a Xhosa minister and scholar, this important work of social anthropology records the customs and traditions of the Xhosa as distinct from other tribal communities in South Africa.

Published in English in 1930 by John Henderson Soga (1860-1941), a Xhosa minister and scholar, this important work is based on Xhosa oral traditions collected by the author. A standard authority on the author's own people, it documents their history, traditions and tribal lives.

First published in 1813 as a revision of an earlier edition, this two-volume almanac of British customs and superstitions is widely regarded as one of the earliest authorities on folklore. Volume 1 details the origins and practices of annual festivals including religious holidays, saints' days, and pagan celebrations.

Swedish-American missionary Ola Hanson (1864-1929) lived with the Kachin people of Burma for over twenty years. He published this unique insight into Kachin culture in 1913, beginning with their origins, language and appearance, and going on to describe Kachin religious beliefs, traditions and ceremonies.

Published in 1901, this two-volume set looks at how entertainment in London changed dramatically between the restoration of Charles II and the accession of Queen Victoria. From bear-baiting and prize-fights with swords, tastes turned to less bloodthirsty pastimes such as gambling, masked balls, and opera and theatre.

The Maori texts in this 1913-15 publication were written down over fifty years earlier by W.H. Whatahoro, acting as scribe for senior Maori elders. Whatahoro himself assisted the retired government surveyor Stephenson Percy Smith (1840-1922) with the accompanying English translation. Volume 1 focuses on the gods and creation.

This compilation of Maori oral literature was commissioned in 1879 by the New Zealand government to help preserve indigenous traditions. The ethnographer John White (1826-91) collected the texts and provided accompanying English translations. Volume 1 (1887) includes narratives about the Horouta canoe, the gods and the creation of humans.

First published in 1911, this account of the Baganda tribe of Uganda by missionary John Roscoe remains an important anthropological work. Speaking their language and with influential native friends, he was able to collect information on their culture before it was transformed by colonial rule and conversion to Christianity.

Edith Simcox (1844-1901) was a prominent British feminist, social critic and a prolific writer. These volumes, first published in 1897, contain a pioneering comparative analysis of aspects of the economic history of ancient societies. Volume 1 contains her discussions of ancient Egypt and Babylonia.

Dr C. G. Seligmann (1873-1940) was a renowned field anthropologist. This book contains his pioneering study of the indigenous aboriginal Vedda people of Sri Lanka, which examines the social, religious and economic life of this group. This ethnology remains the standard reference work for information about the Veddas.

H. A. MacMichael (1882-1969) was a member of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan government who was the deputy Inspector of Kordofan province in Sudan between 1906 and 1912. His ethnographic research in Kordofan was published as part of the Cambridge Archaeological and Ethnographic Series in 1912.

W. Rickmer Rickmers (1873-1965) was a German explorer who visited central Asia five times between 1894 and 1906. This book, illustrated with 207 maps and photographs, provides a description of the area he calls Turkestan (incorporating modern Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and south-west Kazakhstan).

The linguist and philologist Jacob Grimm (1785-1863), best remembered as co-editor of Grimm's Fairy Tales, also wrote this exhaustive study of comparative mythology, first published in German in 1835. This English translation of the enlarged, posthumous fourth German edition of 1875 was published between 1880 and 1888.

Edward Burnett Tylor (1832-1917) was an English anthropologist who is widely considered the founder of anthropology as a scientific discipline. First published in 1871, this influential work explains Tylor's idea of cultural evolution in relation to anthropology. Volume 1 focuses on social evolution, language and myth.

A pioneer in establishing the field of Celtic studies, John Rhys (1840-1915) became the first professor of Celtic languages at Oxford in 1877. This two-volume work, published in 1901, illuminates folklore fieldwork and its difficulties. For each text, Rhys provides information about his sources, and an English translation.

First published in 1864, this two-volume work is an account by the American explorer Charles Francis Hall (1821-71) of his journey to the Arctic to investigate the fate of Sir John Franklin's 1847 expedition. In Volume 1 he describes the life of the Inuit people with whom he lived.