Aleš Hrdlicka
Encyclopedia
Aleš Hrdlička or Ales Hrdlicka (March 29, 1869– September 5, 1943) was a Czech anthropologist
who lived in the United States
after his family had moved there in 1881. He was born in Humpolec
, Bohemia
(today in the Czech Republic
) and given a baptismal name "Alois", which he later changed into a more patriotic form "Aleš".
His mother, Karolina Hrdličková, educated her gifted child herself; his skills and knowledge made it possible to skip the primary level of school. The family emigrated in the U.S.
in 1881, when he was only 13. After arrival, the promised job brought only a disappointment to his father who started working in a cigar factory along with teenage Alois to earn living for the family with 6 other children. Young Hrdlička attended evening courses to improve his English, and at the age of 18, he decided to study medicine since he had suffered from tuberculosis and experienced the treatment difficulties of those times. In 1889, Hrdlička started studies at Eclectic Medical College and then continued at Homeopatic College in New York
. To finish his medical studies, Hrdlička sat for exams in Baltimore
in 1894. At first, he worked in the Middletown asylum for mentally affected where he learnt of anthropometry
. In 1896, Hrdlička left for Paris
, where he started to work as an anthropologist with other experts of then establishing field of science.
Between 1898 and 1903, during his scientific travel across America, Hrdlicka became the first scientist to spot and document the theory of human colonization of the American continent from east Asia only some 15,000 years ago. He argued that the Indians
migrated across the Bering Strait
from Asia, supporting this theory with detailed field research of skeletal remains as well as studies of the people in Mongolia, Tibet, Siberia, Alaska, and Aleutian Islands. The findings backed up the argument which later involved into the theory of global origin of human species that was awarded by the Thomas Henry Huxley Award in 1927.
Ales Hrdlicka founded and became the first curator
of physical anthropology of the U.S. National Museum, now the Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History
in 1903. He was the founder of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology
.
He always sponsored his fellow expatriates and also donated the institution of anthropology in Prague
, which was founded in 1930 by his co-explorer Jindřich Matiegka, in his natal country (the institution later took his name).
apes, unrelated to human ancestry.
In a lecture on "The Origin of Man," delivered for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at Cincinnati, Ohio
. Hrdlicka said that the cradle of man is not in Central Asia but in Central Europe as Europe is the earliest known location where human skeletal remains have been found.
Hrdlicka was almost alone in his views, the European hypothesis fell into decline and is now considered an obsolete scientific theory which has been replaced by the multiregional hypothesis and the Out of Africa theory.
. While these practices are not inconsistent with other ethnographers and human origin researchers of that era, the moral and ethical ramifications of these research practices continues to be debated today.
Hrdlicka has been further criticized for his vicious attacks on researchers who presented evidence contrary to his own. Although Hrdlicka's theories on several subjects were eventually superseded, Hrdlicka repeatedly attempted to bury, discredit, or marginalize the work of researchers who disagreed with his conclusions.
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
who lived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after his family had moved there in 1881. He was born in Humpolec
Humpolec
Humpolec is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic, situated south-east of Prague and roughly halfway between the Czech capital and Brno, on the northwestern edge of the Bohemian-Moravian highlands ....
, Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
(today in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
) and given a baptismal name "Alois", which he later changed into a more patriotic form "Aleš".
His mother, Karolina Hrdličková, educated her gifted child herself; his skills and knowledge made it possible to skip the primary level of school. The family emigrated in the U.S.
History of immigration to the United States
The history of immigration to the United States is a continuing story of peoples from more populated continents, particularly Europe and also Africa and Asia, crossing oceans to the new land. Historians do not treat the first indigenous settlers as immigrants. Starting around 1600 British and...
in 1881, when he was only 13. After arrival, the promised job brought only a disappointment to his father who started working in a cigar factory along with teenage Alois to earn living for the family with 6 other children. Young Hrdlička attended evening courses to improve his English, and at the age of 18, he decided to study medicine since he had suffered from tuberculosis and experienced the treatment difficulties of those times. In 1889, Hrdlička started studies at Eclectic Medical College and then continued at Homeopatic College in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. To finish his medical studies, Hrdlička sat for exams in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
in 1894. At first, he worked in the Middletown asylum for mentally affected where he learnt of anthropometry
Anthropometry
Anthropometry refers to the measurement of the human individual...
. In 1896, Hrdlička left for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he started to work as an anthropologist with other experts of then establishing field of science.
Between 1898 and 1903, during his scientific travel across America, Hrdlicka became the first scientist to spot and document the theory of human colonization of the American continent from east Asia only some 15,000 years ago. He argued that the Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
migrated across the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
from Asia, supporting this theory with detailed field research of skeletal remains as well as studies of the people in Mongolia, Tibet, Siberia, Alaska, and Aleutian Islands. The findings backed up the argument which later involved into the theory of global origin of human species that was awarded by the Thomas Henry Huxley Award in 1927.
Ales Hrdlicka founded and became the first curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of physical anthropology of the U.S. National Museum, now the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
in 1903. He was the founder of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
The American Journal of Physical Anthropology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal and the official journal of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists...
.
He always sponsored his fellow expatriates and also donated the institution of anthropology in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, which was founded in 1930 by his co-explorer Jindřich Matiegka, in his natal country (the institution later took his name).
European hypothesis
Hrdlicka was interested in the origin of the human being, he was a critic of hominid evolution aswell as the Asia hypothesis, as he claimed there was little evidence to go on for those theories, he dismissed finds such as the Ramapithecus which were labeled as hominids by most scientists, he instead believed that they were nothing more than fossilFossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
apes, unrelated to human ancestry.
In a lecture on "The Origin of Man," delivered for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Hrdlicka said that the cradle of man is not in Central Asia but in Central Europe as Europe is the earliest known location where human skeletal remains have been found.
Hrdlicka was almost alone in his views, the European hypothesis fell into decline and is now considered an obsolete scientific theory which has been replaced by the multiregional hypothesis and the Out of Africa theory.
Controversy & Criticism
More recently, Hrdlicka's methods have come under scrutiny and criticism with regard to his treatment of Native American remains. An AP newswire article, "Mexico Indian Remains Returned From NY For Burial" from November 17, 2009, recounted his study of Mexico's tribal races, including the beheading of still-decomposing victims of a massacre of Yaqui Indians and removing the flesh from the skulls as part of these studies. He also threw out the corpse of an infant that was found in a cradleboard but forwarded this artifact along with the skulls and other remains to New York's American Museum of Natural HistoryAmerican Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
. While these practices are not inconsistent with other ethnographers and human origin researchers of that era, the moral and ethical ramifications of these research practices continues to be debated today.
Hrdlicka has been further criticized for his vicious attacks on researchers who presented evidence contrary to his own. Although Hrdlicka's theories on several subjects were eventually superseded, Hrdlicka repeatedly attempted to bury, discredit, or marginalize the work of researchers who disagreed with his conclusions.
Literature
- Mann, Charles. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, New York: Random House, 2005.
External links
- EMuseum short biography Minnesota State University
- Biography of Ales Hrdlicka at American Journal of Physical AnthropologyAmerican Association of Physical AnthropologistsThe American Association of Physical Anthropologists is an American-based international scientific society of physical anthropologists. It was formed in 1930, with Morris Steggerda as one of its founding members. They have 1,700 members. They publish the American Journal of Physical...
- Register to the Papers of Aleš Hrdlička, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution