Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Thursday 12 March 1931, page 5


ANTHROPOLOGY

Horne-Bowie Collection

Stone Age of Aboriginal

Catalogue to be Published

CANBERRA, March 11.

Unique interest is attached to a catalogue to be published shortly by the Australian Institute of Anatomy, classifying the Horne-Bowie anthropological collection, which deals with the stone age cul-ture of the Australian aboriginal.

Its publication is eagerly awaited, not only by medical scientists—particu-larly those engaged in the study of neurology—and anthropologists in Aus-tralia, but throughout the world, and more especially by the authorities at the Jardin des Plantes and the Insti-tute of Anthropology in Paris.

Mr. George Aiston, who is honorary consulting anthropologist to the Aus-tralian Institute of Anatomy at Can-berra, and one of the world's greatest living authorities on the stone age men of Central Australia, has for the last three months been engaged at the insti-

tute in classifying the Horne-Bowie collection. He has now completed his researches, and leaves Canberra to-

morrow for his station home, Mulka, in

Central Australia.

The Horne-Bowie collection, which was presented intact to the nation, is of the greatest importance to medical scientists, and its psychological value was stressed by its founder, the late Dr. George Horne. Mr. Aiston, who is joint author with Dr. Horne of a well-known text-book dealing with the aborigines of Central Australia, has lived for over 30 years amongst the stone age people, who have now followed the Tasmanian aboriginal nation into almost complete extinction. His classi-fication of the implements and weapons of these people is based on his own per-sonal experiences—experiences which probably no other man living can claim—and in it he has cleared up many of the errors of past investigators.