Physical anthropology of the Lenape or Delawares, and of the eastern Indians in general

Description

"L'espionne" by Ernest Daudet is a novel written in the late 19th century. However, the provided opening reads like a scientific monograph on Native American physical anthropology, focusing on the Lenape (Delawares) and related Eastern tribes through the analysis of skeletal remains. The opening of the work presents front matter for a Smithsonian Bureau of American Ethnology bulletin and introduces a study based on 57 skeletons recovered from a Munsee cemetery near Montague, New Jersey, in the upper Delaware Valley. It situates the Munsee within the Lenape subdivisions (Munsee, Unami, Unalachtigo) and outlines their historical territory, noting European trade goods in the graves and even one Caucasian skeleton, which helps date the site to early historic contact. The text explains that the remains allow a rare, clear tribal identification and mentions a historical influx of Shawnee that might explain certain cranial traits. It then summarizes the collection’s condition (about equal adult sexes, many adolescents, generally peaceful lives inferred from minimal trauma), highlights frequent artificial cranial deformation (mostly occipital, sometimes with frontal compression), and reports little disease aside from some dental caries and mild arthritic changes. Initial measurements and observations describe predominantly long to medium skull shapes with a few broad-headed outliers, moderate facial dimensions, varied orbits, generally short noses trending mesorhine to moderately platyrhine, mild prognathism, relatively broad palates, and moderate mandibular build, followed by concise notes on forehead shape, sagittal keeling, and occipital form. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Delaware Indians -- Anthropometry
• Munsee Indians -- Anthropometry
• Indians of North America -- Anthropometry
• E011