The head and face dimensions would today be considered standard dimensions. We have been unsuccessful in locating a reference to a mea- surement authority on which Boas relied in setting up his measurements. Because Boas's early training in physical anthropology took place under Rudolph Virchow, the measurement definitions are presumably those of the developing German school. Boas was present in Berlin in 1885 when nine visiting Bella Coolas were measured by Virchow (Cole 1985), an event that must have impressed upon him the importance of anthropometry (page 348)
The instruments with each observer was provided consisted of (1) a measuring rod 2 m long with a level to ensure vertical placement, (2) a pair of jointed steel calipers of Virchow's design, (3) a pair of small vernier calipers for face measurements, and (4) a millimeter scale 40 cm long (Boas, partial unpublished, undated manuscript). No examples or even pictures of these instruments have been found in Boas's material. Likewise, we have not come across any copies of the instructions with which observers were provi (page 349)
Boas also included a large number of anthroposcopic variables on the data sheets. These variables are either descriptions of the form or color of hair, eyes, nose, face, or ears or numbers that the observer would compare to a set of s (page 349)
o those who take the view that language marks biological history, or in the case of Amerindians, separate mi- grations, Boas' s admonition should provide a, reminder of the complexity of this issue: Tribes speaking different languages and having different customs may have the same type and on the other hand, tribes, the same in language and the same in customs may be composed of different t (page 352)
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