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

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

(2 User reviews) 369

By Anastasia Zhang Posted on Jan 17, 2026

In Category - Epic Literature

Authors: Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943 Published By : Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943

Book Language: English

Hey, I just finished this fascinating old book that reads like a real-life detective story about America's past. Published in 1916, it's not your typical history book. It's the work of a famous anthropologist, Aleš Hrdlička, who traveled around digging up a very specific kind of evidence: bones. The whole thing is a scientific investigation into the Lenape (Delaware) and other East Coast tribes, but the real mystery isn't in the artifacts—it's in the people. Hrdlička was trying to answer a huge question of his time: where did Native Americans originally come from? Were they always here, or did they migrate from somewhere else? He measured skulls, studied skeletons, and compared features, trying to trace a physical history that written records didn't cover. It's a bit eerie and very methodical, but it shows how early science grappled with understanding deep human history. The conflict is right there in the title—it's the 'physical anthropology,' the attempt to map identity and origin onto the human body itself. It makes you think hard about how we try to know the past, and what gets lost when we only look at it one way.

File: Physical anthropology of the Lenape or Delawares, and of the eastern Indians in…

Let's be clear from the start: this isn't a novel. There's no main character, unless you count Hrdlička himself as the determined, slightly obsessive scientist on a quest. The 'plot' is his research mission. In the early 1900s, he conducted field studies, examining the skeletal remains and physical characteristics of Lenape and other Indigenous communities in the eastern United States.

The Story

The book is his report. He lays out his findings in careful detail: measurements of skulls, notes on bone structure, observations on living community members. He's piecing together a biological profile, looking for clues that might connect these groups to each other and to populations in Asia, supporting the theory that the ancestors of Native Americans crossed the Bering Strait. The story is the process of his inquiry—the gathering of data, the analysis, and the conclusions he draws about human migration and physical variation.

Why You Should Read It

It's a tough but important read. The subject matter is sensitive—the study of human remains—and the methods feel very dated. But that's precisely why it's insightful. You get a raw look at how anthropology was done over a century ago. You see the birth of ideas that shaped our understanding of American history. Reading it, you're a witness to the mindset of early American science. You can feel Hrdlička's drive to find objective, physical 'proof' of history. It pushes you to ask questions: What can bones really tell us about a people's story? What do they not tell us about culture, language, and spirit? It's a book that makes you think critically about history itself.

Final Verdict

This is a niche pick, but a powerful one. It's perfect for readers interested in the history of science, anthropology, or early Native American studies. It's also great for anyone who likes to see how big historical questions were tackled with the tools of the past. Be warned: it's a scientific publication, so it can be dry and technical. But if you approach it as a primary source—a snapshot of a moment in time—it's absolutely absorbing. It's not for casual bedtime reading, but for a curious mind willing to engage with a complicated piece of America's intellectual past, it's a unique and revealing document.