WORK IN ANTHROPOLOGY 
AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 
FOR THE YEAR 1892 
By HARLAN I. SMITH 
REPRINTED FROM THE UNIVERSITY RECORD 
FEBRUARY 1894 PAGES 98-100) 
ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN 
THE COURIER PRESSES 
1894 ANTHROPOLOGY 
AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. 
The antiquity of man, the origin of types and var- 
ieties, the rise of civilization and the progress of 
society, the beginning and development of art, lan- 
guage, government and religion, and the position ot 
the human family, are all questions to which the anthro- 
pologists of Europe and America are now giving atten- 
tion ; and anthropology, so far from being another 
burden added to the list of studies is, on the contrary, 
a help. All studies are made more easy by obtaining a 
clear understanding of their origin, history, and the 
relation which they must bear to the welfare of man. 
Besides, anthropological study tends to develop a liber- 
ality of feeling and a strong respect for the customs and 
religions of other peoples. 
Eastern educational institutions are already engaged 
in the work. Some have even made valuable contribu- 
tions to the knowledge and literature of the subject. 
The Peabody Museum at Cambridge has for years 
encouraged the study of American Antiquities, until, 
beginning with the college year of ’90-91, a regular course 
3 in American Archaeology and Ethnology was estab- 
lished there in connection with Harvard University. 
This course extends over three years, and is under the 
charge of Professor F. W. Putnam, curator of the 
museum. Students in the course are required to do 
both museum and field work in addition to the regular 
studies pursued in the department. This institution, 
which gives not only very great advantages in access to 
one of the most complete archaeological and ethno- 
logical collections this side of the Atlantic, but also 
in a thorough course of study, in connection with 
them, is by all means one of the very first in the work. 
Yale, Clark, Vermont, Brown, and Union College 
offer facilities for anthropological study, and only a little 
more than two years ago the University of Pennsylvania 
established a Museum of American Archaeology, of 
which Dr. C. C. Abbott was appointed Curator. Johns 
Hopkins is now looking into the matter with no small 
degree of interest. The National Museum and Smith- 
sonian Institution, at Washington, have for years offered 
great opportunities, in their departments of prehistoric 
anthropology, to the earnest student or specialist from 
any part of the world. 
The eastern institutions have taken the lead, but 
now the University of Chicago offers a series of courses in 
anthropology under the direction of Professor Frederick 
Starr. These are preparatory to, and a part of the work 
in Social Science. It is now understood that a large 
Anthropological Museum will be founded in Chicago, 
4 to which will be taken all of the ethnological and arch- 
aeological material collected for the great exposition, 
and where special work of investigation will be carried 
on in addition to instruction similar to that given at the 
Chicago University. 
For the University of Michigan to be behindhand, 
would be unusual, and in the second semester of the 
college year 1891-92, before the University of Chicago 
opened its doors, the University of Michigan offered its 
first work in anthropology. This was a course in 
museum laboratory work in American Archaeology. 
This branch of anthropological work is of unusual inter- 
est to the students from the central basin of this 
country, as that locality is very rich in prehistoric 
remains. Two students availed themselves of this 
course. In addition to the investigations which they 
carried on for themselves, considerable work was done 
for the museum. In the west end of the lower hall of 
that building, two large wall cases were constructed for 
exhi biting such collections as were thought to be of inter- 
est to the general public. A room in the museum was 
secured as an anthropological laboratory, and to this 
room were taken all of the materials belonging to the 
department, which had not previously been arranged 
for exhibition. Those collections on exhibition were 
left in the cases not to be removed, unless required for 
special study, until the other materials were placed in 
proper shape. The University library loaned to this 
laboratory such books as were required for use in con- 
5 nection with the work to be carried on there, and vari- 
ous materials required for immediate work were 
obtained. 
Upon examination, after the specimens had been 
brought together, it was found that the University was 
in possession of a much more valuable collection than 
was generally supposed. One of the most interesting 
and instructive features of the collection is a typical lot 
of about forty authentic neolithic implements from 
Denmark. These implements were presented by a 
Philadelphia gentleman, and the series includes a num- 
ber of celts or chisels, several saw-like objects, scrapers, 
knives, hammer-stones, and in fact representative 
specimens of all the more plentiful stone implements 
used by neolithic man in Denmark. All these speci- 
mens are beautifully chipped, while some are ground. 
The material of which they are fashioned is the hard 
black flint, of which these people were so fond. 
Among the materials illustrative of the ceramic art 
are more than a hundred ancient Peruvian vessels. 
These were collected by Dr. J. B. Steere, about 20 
years ago, at Ancon and Pacasmayo; places once 
thickly populated by an ancient race and now well 
known because of the great number of mummies, earth- 
en vessels, fabrics and other remains of the Inca nation 
to be found there. In this assortment are vessels of black, 
red, and yellow earthenware of many shapes. Nearly 
all of them are covered with figures representing 
plants and animals, while some have beautifully inter- 
6 woven geometric designs impressed upon their surfaces. 
Some of the vessels have figured upon them quaint little 
dwarfs with a very peculiar head-dress and great circu- 
lar ear-rings. Others have a series of these little men 
so arranged around the circumference as to suggest the 
representation of some historical event or ceremony. 
Some of the vessels are made in the exact form of the 
chirimoya, pecay and other plant products. Again 
there are those in the form of fish, dolphins, and the 
heads of monkeys. In fact this representation of the 
monkey is rather common. On one flask in particular 
a monkey is represented as if tied as a prisoner, 
while on the reverse of the flask the figure, otherwise 
similar, has a peculiar barbed tail and a long, protrud- 
ing tongue, which suggests a demon or other religious 
symbol. (See p. 15). A number of the water jugs have a 
peculiar spout. A tube opening from one side of the 
spherical body extends in a semicircle over the vessel 
and opens into the other side. In the upper part of 
this semicircular tube the spout proper is inserted. 
This resembles the neck of an ordinary jug. At the 
junction of the spout with the semicircular tube, 
in most cases, a little monkey is figured as if climbing 
up the spout to get at the contents of the jug. The 
natives of Peru, to-day, use a similar water vessel which 
they carry at the belt suspended by means of the semi- 
circular tube. Another form of water jar greatly 
resembles the old Greek forms with a conical base and 
beautifully curved outline. The vessels of this form are 
7 often ornamented with geometric designs, many of 
which are very artistic. 
The collection from the islands at the mouth of the 
Amazon, also secured by Dr. Steere, contains some 
great hat-shaped burial urns and several food vessels. 
Characteristic of these vessels are the incised lines, 
beautifully carved designs and representations of hid- 
eous human faces. From South America Dr. Steere 
sailed to the East Indies, where, in addition to the 
natural history collections, he obtained a series of more 
than 20 earthen vessels, including pots, pitchers, cups, 
vases and bowls. This collection was also placed under 
the charge of the anthropological department. 
Over 50 of the pottery vessels, including some from 
each of the localities mentioned, were badly broken in 
transportation. This breakage was doubtless due to 
the scarcity of materials for packing. All of these frag- 
mentary pots have been carefully restored, and at the 
same time experiments were made with various 
cements and compositions. The preparation finally 
determined upon is a mixture similar to that used at 
the Peabody Museum. It is composed of silicate of soda, 
whiting and various coloring materials, made up accord- 
ing to the use required, at the laboratory; and is now 
thought to be the best cement for such laboratory and 
museum purposes. It is very strong yet not too brittle, 
while the moisture in the atmosphere has little or no 
effect upon it. In the latter quality this silicate com- 
pound has a great advantage over glue. A number of 
8 skulls which had been articulated were also restored 
with the same preparation. 
Among the various skulls is one perforated 
cranium from Michigan, similar to those dis- 
covered in great numbers by Mr. Henry Gilman, near 
Detroit. The perforated skulls are numerous in some 
Michigan mounds, but are not often found in other parts 
of the United States. There is a limited assortment of 
stone implements from the surface in the vicinity of 
Ann Arbor. This collection includes chipped points 
from arrows, spears, knives, scrapers, and drills, or 
perforators; a few celts or chisels used also as axes, 
and perhaps sometimes for skinning game. There are 
also a few hammer-stones, about a dozen charm-stones, 
or ornaments, and an iron tomahawk. The latter is 
modern and was doubtless used by the Indians not more 
than 100 years ago. Such iron implements were often 
obtained by them from the French traders or Catholic 
Fathers, There is a number of stone hammers which 
were obtained by the late Dr. Winehell, from the prehis- 
toric copper mines of the Superior region. Two large 
mortars, or dishes, one of standstone and one of stea- 
tite, represent the Santa Barbara Islands off the coast of 
California. Through the efforts of one of the students 
a fund was subscribed with which a collection locally 
known as the DePue collection was purchased. This 
collection contains a series of stone implements from 
the vicinity of Ann Arbor which was collected by Mr. 
DePue. 
9 Just before the close of the college year 1891-92 a 
fine series of 106 plaster casts was added to the collec- 
tion. This series was presented to the University hy 
the Smithsonian Institution, and comprises casts of 
some of the most rare as well as the most typical speci- 
mens which have been collected hy the field assistants 
of that institution in the past fifty years. In the series 
are represented implements of war, domestic utensils, 
ornaments and ceremonial implements. All of these 
casts are of the best workmanship, and are coated with 
a dull pigment, so that they greatly resemble the real 
rock of the originals. With each class of objects is a 
card upon which is printed a brief description of the 
general or typical forms and of the use to which each 
was put as well as the age or ages in which it is classed. 
Besides these each cast is accompanied hy a printed 
card label referring to the catalogue number at the 
National Museum, and giving the locality at which the 
specimen was found, as well as other data necessary to 
the full scientific label for such an object. The full 
system of labels is one of the most important parts of 
the gift. These casts were placed on exhibition in the 
new cases. The series is of great value to the Univer- 
sity, and as it represents the best and most general 
forms which have been discovered in this country, it is 
by all means much better for general and elementary 
class work than any collection of specimens which 
could be amassed in this vicinity. A local collection, 
unless made by a trained field worker, seldom contains 
10 a good synoptical representation, and is too often 
simply an aggregation of “ relics ” without the neces- 
sary data and hence without value for educational pur- 
poses. Dr. Amos several times made use of parts of 
the collection to illustrate his introductory lectures to 
the classes in history. By means of them he carried 
his class from the earliest times, when man first began 
to use flakes of stones to supplant his finger-nails and 
teeth, in the various labors to which the latter were not 
well fitted, down to the time when archaeology ends 
and history begins, to the time when man began to live 
in communities and to practice the various arts wThicli 
we consider indicative of civilization. 
Professor W. H. Sherzer recently presented to the 
museum several large stone hammers, or mauls, which 
he collected from the ancient copper pits or mines at 
Isle Royal, Michigan. These hammers were used by 
the primitive miners in obtaining some of the copper 
which is so widely distributed throughout the mounds 
of the whole Mississippi valley. 
A series of implements collected by Professor J. 
C. Rolfe, at North Truro, Mass., was examined and 
some interesting observations were noted relating to 
the natural sand-blast and its action upon implements. 
The effect of the shifting sand and sand storms upon 
archaeological specimens has as yet been little studied. 
It is hoped some results may be obtained, from a 
further study of this series, that will lead to a better 
understanding of some of the perplexing questions with 
which archaeologists have to deal. 
11 During the spring several prehistoric village sites 
were discovered near Ann Arbor, and it is hoped that 
these may soon be thoroughly examined. 
An extensive survey was made of one of the noted 
prehistoric “garden beds ” hear Kalamazoo. An exact 
contour map was constructed and a series of photo- 
graphs were taken. It is expected that funds will soon 
be secured with which these interesting and character- 
istically Michigan remains may be thoroughly explored 
and that plaster models may he made of the “ beds ” as 
they were originally supposed to have been and as 
they now appear. Such models, together with the 
map, photographs and the specimens found during the 
excavation, would he of great value to science and also 
of a popular interest to the people of Michigan. 
The great prehistoric remains of our State are 
fast disappearing as a result of the advance of civ- 
ilization. The plow every year levels and obliterates 
more completely those earth-works which were 
once grand monuments. Railroads cut through them 
and towns are built over the very sites where once 
teemed a ruder civilization. All these agencies 
destroy or render inaccessible the facts which such 
places have to reveal to the student. It is there- 
fore of the greatest importance that careful scientific 
examination he made of all such remains that are in 
danger of destruction, and that the results of such ex- 
ploration he preserved for future study and comparison. 
It is from careful study and comparative methods only 
12 that we may hope to learn of the early American races. 
Perhaps now that more interest is being exhibited in 
the work, steps may be taken to have the remains in 
Michigan preserved until surveys and explorations of 
the localities in danger may be made. Every earth- 
work, village site, workshop, mine and quarry ought to 
be surveyed, photographed and explored. This would 
require years of work, but the result would be most 
satisfactory. Very little work has been done in Michi- 
gan, and hence the field is comparatively undisturbed 
and in such condition that all the facts can be obtained 
without the confusion or misleading circumstances 
which the student has met in other localities. 
The scientific work of anthropology which it is now 
desirable to do can be easily carried on and arranged 
for at the University in all the branches of study but 
this one. For that reason prehistoric anthropology has 
received almost the entire attention of this report. In 
that, we must have the cooperation of the land owners 
of the State. Let our plea not he in vain, for the pres- 
ervation of all the archaeological remains until proper 
exploration can he made by men properly trained and 
experienced in such work. Meanwhile, it is very desir- 
able that collections of archaeological specimens be made 
as rapidly as possible. As the time has come when a 
heterogeneous collection is of no value to science, the 
museum will be conducted on the basis that “ an effic- 
ient educational museum is a collection of instructive 
labels, each illustrated by typical and well selected 
13 specimens.” Any object relating to prehistoric times, 
when authentic and accompanied by a label, and any 
information or reports in regard to mounds, earth- 
works, quarries, etc., will be gladly received. Detailed 
directions for labeling and sending will be given on 
application to Mr. H. C. Markham, University Mus- 
eum, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 
The work of this laboratory and the outside explor- 
ation has been carried on by special subscription, the 
only expense to the University being the furnishing of 
space in the museum building. 
14