Page:Early Man in Britain and His Place in the Tertiary Period.djvu/352

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EARLY MAN IN BRITAIN.
[CHAP. IX.

ants of Spain, France, and Britain. The Iberic element in the population of Spain has mainly contributed to the long-headedness of the modern Spaniard, although that character may be partially derived from Gothic and Moorish invaders. The Basques on the north-west, protected from attack by their inaccessible country, have preserved the race-characters, as might be expected, in their greatest purity.[1] With regard to the rest of the peninsula, sufficiently accurate observations have not yet been made to justify any conclusions as to the exact areas now occupied by the descendants of Iberian aborigines and Celtic invaders. The problem is rendered almost hopeless from the great changes which must have resulted from the conquest of the Goths and Moors, for if the former contributed their fair or "xanthochroic" characters to the modern Spaniard, it is no less certain that the latter have equally handed down to him their dark complexions and lithe active forms. I do not know that any important physical difference has been observed between the Moor and the Iberian; and it is very probable that the two are closely allied together, and connected with the Berbers of northern Africa, considered by Professor Busk to belong to the same stock as the Iberians.

Iberic, Celtic, and other Elements in the Population of France.

We are able to form an accurate idea of the origin, both of the complexion and stature, of the present inhabitants of France, from the labours of Dr. Broca,[2] to

  1. Broca, Sur l'Origine et la Repartition de la Langue Basque. Rev. Anthrop. 1875.
  2. Mém. Soc. Anthrop. de Paris, i, p. 1, iii. p. 224. The accuracy of