XXVI Congreso Internacional de Americanistas

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tively recent introduction in the areas they now occupy. It seems possible
that diffusion also may be responsible for the appearances in Australia
and Fuegia of many of the other traits which, as the result of
thei r greater age in these regions, now appear as we11 integrated elements
difficult or impossible to distinguish in antiquity from sti11 older traits.
The diffusion of great numbers of traits in southern South America has
been we11 worked out by Cooper. For Australia the problem has been
only pa'rtially treated.
On the basis of the foregoing discussion we have failed to find any
satisfactory evidence vihich would indicate that the basic cultures of
Tierra del Fuego and Australia are historically related. Of the man)'
hundreds of traits in the two cultures the exponents of historical unity
have been able to muster only a few which they regard as similar and
these for the most part are cloaked in such ambiguous and generalized
terms thatthe comparisons appear to be meaningless. If it is permissible
lo ínfer historical relationship on the basis of such loosely used terros
and on the presence of such simple customs and obj ects as those submitted
it would be possible to imply reíationship for any two cultures
selected at random or for all existing and extinct cultures. Such is not
rny l1nderstanding of the meaning of the term "historically related".
That there may be in tbe t\VO regions a few similar traits, each derived
from a common source in Asia, should be not unexpected in view of the
migrations from that continent but we must also take into consideration
the possibility that subsequent diffl1sions may be responsible for the
modern appearances of sllch similarities as are established on the grounds
of specific characteristics and llot l1pon generalized and loosely used
terms. Indeed we can still agree with Koppers' theory in principIe and
maintain at the same time that satisfactory evidence in support of it has
not yet been presented.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BROOKS, C. E. P .
1930. Clima/e. New York,
COOPCR, J 1'1.
1 1917. "Ana'ytical and Critical Bibliography of the Tribes oí Tierra del
F uego". Bul!. 63, Bureau 01 America:n Ethnology.
II 1927. "Culture Diffusion and Culture Areas in Southern South America".
Proc. 2Ist Interna.!-ional Congress 01 America.nists. Goteborg.
CO RREA, A. A. Mendes.
1925. "Significado genealogico do "Australopithecus" e do craneo de Tabgha
e o arco antropolético indico". Tra.balhos da, Sociedad por luguesa
de Antropofagia e Etimología., vol. 2, nO :l. P orto.