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THE
EVOLUTION OF CULTURE
AND OTHER ESSAYS

BY THE LATE
LT.-GEN. A. LANE-FOX PITT-RIVERS
D.C.L., F.R.S., F.S.A.

EDITED BY J. L. MYRES, M.A.
STUDENT OF CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
HENRY BALFOUR, M.A.
FELLOW OF EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD
CURATOR OF THE PITT-RIVERS MUSEUM

TWENTY-ONE PLATES

OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1906

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HENRY FROWDE, M.A.
PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
LONDON, EDINBURGH
NEW YORK AND TORONTO

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PREFACE

These Essays, or rather Lectures, contain the first-fruits of theearliest systematic attempt to apply the theory of Evolution tothe products of human handiwork. In their original form theyhave long been difficult to obtain; and they are reprinted nowto supply the needs of candidates for the Oxford Diploma inAnthropology, and of the numerous visitors to the Pitt-RiversMuseum in Oxford. But they will certainly appeal to a farwider public also, as a brief and authentic statement of theirauthor’s discoveries.

The four Essays are reprinted substantially as they were firstdelivered and published. But verbal errors and actual misquotationshave been corrected; and allusions to specimens ordiagrams exhibited during the original discourses, but not published,have been replaced so far as possible by references tosimilar objects figured in the Plates.

The Plates are photographic reproductions of the originalillustrations, with the exception of Plates V, XIII, XVII, XVIII.Of these, Plate XIII has simply been re-drawn, from a fadedoriginal; Plates XVII and XVIII have been translated, withoutloss of detail, from colours to monochrome shading; Plate V hasbeen reconstituted from illustrations quoted in the text, with thepermission of their publisher, Mr. Murray. Plate XXI is reproduced,by permission of Sir John Evans, from the paper which itillustrated originally.

The footnotes demand a word of explanation. The author, asthe original publications show, was not precise in indicating hissources: he frequently gave, as a quotation, the general senserather than the exact words of his authority; and occasionallyhis memory played him false. In the reprint, the precisereferences have been identified, and are given in full, andobvious errors in the text have been either amended or correctedin a footnote. The editor desires to acknowledge much valuablehelp in the search for references from Miss C. M. Prior, ofHeadington.

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CONTENTS