More than from the variation of the horizontal cephalic index, one could expect clarification from the variation in the height of the skull (see cephalic, indexes) and even better from the examination of the descriptive characters of the face (see physiognomy: Ethnic facial physiognomy) . As regards the first object, valuable contributions have been brought by Pelizzola, who used in his extensive measurements of the supra-auricular height, as a more exquisite means of analysis, in comparison with the common basilo-bregmatic. His conclusions therefore have great certainty, with regard to the distribution of height types. But also the material of data collected by several scholars on historical and prehistoric craniensi series (data in which, however, the height of the skull is measured with the basilobregmatic) allows useful deductions. Unfortunately, until now at least, Pelizzola’s research has been limited to northern Italy and part of central Italy. However, some facts of great interest result from them: 1. The brachycephaly of northern Italy is to be divided into two morphological units, a platycephalic type brachycephaly, typical of the high mountain, which we can therefore properly call alpine, and a brachycephaly that embraces the pre-alpine area and the plain and which is of the orthocephalic type. The Romagna area would even be characterized by a certain frequency of hypsycephalic forms that also reach the Marche. 2. Platicephalic forms are present in some places in the northern Apennines, but unlike the Alpine ones, they are rather long (Liguria, S. Maria del Taro, Ospitale near the Cimone). to northern Italy and part of central Italy. However, some facts of great interest result from them: 1. The brachycephaly of northern Italy is to be divided into two morphological units, a platycephalic type brachycephaly, typical of the high mountain, which we can therefore properly call alpine, and a brachycephaly that embraces the pre-alpine area and the plain and which is of the orthocephalic type. The Romagna area would even be characterized by a certain frequency of hypsycephalic forms that also reach the Marche. 2. Platicephalic forms are present in some places in the northern Apennines, but unlike the Alpine ones, they are rather long (Liguria, S. Maria del Taro, Ospitale near the Cimone). to northern Italy and part of central Italy. However, some facts of great interest result from them: 1. The brachycephaly of northern Italy is to be divided into two morphological units, a platycephalic type brachycephaly, typical of the high mountain, which we can therefore properly call alpine, and a brachycephaly that embraces the pre-alpine area and the plain and which is of the orthocephalic type. The Romagna area would even be characterized by a certain frequency of hypsycephalic forms that also reach the Marche. 2. Platicephalic forms are present in some places in the northern Apennines, but unlike the Alpine ones, they are rather long (Liguria, S. Maria del Taro, Ospitale near the Cimone). The brachycephaly of northern Italy is to be divided into two morphological units, a platicephalic brachycephaly, typical of the elevated mountain, which we can therefore properly call alpine, and a brachycephaly that embraces the pre-alpine area and the plain and is of the orthocephalic type. The Romagna area would even be characterized by a certain frequency of hypsycephalic forms that also reach the Marche. 2. Platicephalic forms are present in some places in the northern Apennines, but unlike the Alpine ones, they are rather long (Liguria, S. Maria del Taro, Ospitale near the Cimone). The brachycephaly of northern Italy is to be divided into two morphological units, a platicephalic brachycephaly, typical of the elevated mountain, which we can therefore properly call alpine, and a brachycephaly that embraces the pre-alpine area and the plain and is of the orthocephalic type. The Romagna area would even be characterized by a certain frequency of hypsycephalic forms that also reach the Marche. 2. Platicephalic forms are present in some places in the northern Apennines, but unlike the Alpine ones, they are rather long (Liguria, S. Maria del Taro, Ospitale near the Cimone). and a brachycephaly which embraces the pre-Alpine area and the plain and which is of the orthocephalic type. The Romagna area would even be characterized by a certain frequency of hypsycephalic forms that also reach the Marche. 2. Platicephalic forms are present in some places in the northern Apennines, but unlike the Alpine ones, they are rather long (Liguria, S. Maria del Taro, Ospitale near the Cimone). and a brachycephaly which embraces the pre-Alpine area and the plain and which is of the orthocephalic type. The Romagna area would even be characterized by a certain frequency of hypsycephalic forms that also reach the Marche. 2. Platicephalic forms are present in some places in the northern Apennines, but unlike the Alpine ones, they are rather long (Liguria, S. Maria del Taro, Ospitale near the Cimone).
Pelizzola’s most special researches on the Tyrol deserve to be mentioned here for their ethnological, cultural and, in some respects, political importance. In fact, Pelizzola was able to demonstrate, as the attached map indicates, that in the Adige valley on the Italian side, the dolico-low element, identifiable in this area with the Germanic ethnic element, is not prevalent at all, being instead prevalent, in the higher secondary valleys, the platibrachi element and in the lower valley the brachiortocephalus. The dolicho-platycephalic element, of Germanic origin, is instead found in a state of concentration only on the opposite side, in the Inn valley. To return, however, to the main subject, we must say, with regard to the second of Pelizzola’s two conclusions, which we remember as the most important,
We indicate by the name of xanthroic, as first did Th. H. Huxley, the light type with blond hair and blue eyes, whom many call Nordic and also Germanic. This last denomination is by no means to be rejected, as this type is not prevalent in Germany at all. But also the denomination of Nordic is not proper, since it is not at all proven, indeed it is unlikely, that this type derives its origin from the north of Europe.
Furthermore, Pelizzola would believe that the dolico-orthocephalus present concentrations on the Apennines, while the orthocephalic brachyoids would be the result of a violent invasion of the Balkan Peninsula from finitime regions to Italy, so that on the one hand they would have repelled the brachiplates on the Alps and on the other the dolichocephalics on the Apennines. This conclusion seems unacceptable to Sera and is due to the fact that Pelizzola, like Livi, did not observe that the dolichocephalics of the northern and central Apennines are, in all likelihood, at least in part, of the xanthocroic type and therefore arrived in Italy in times relatively recent, at the earliest in the Neolithic, with greater probability in the Bronze Age and more probably in the Iron Age, but above all that they, contrary to what Pelizzola believes, they have driven back to the west of the Apennines a type previous to this, as will be said later. In order to have the greatest possible clarity on this and other points, Sera studied the behavior of the height of the skull, as it results from the data relating to several series existing in the literature and was able to make several important observations of which we will make a brief here. note: 1. The Veneto region (data from Tedeschi) has a small height of the skull. This character separates the said region from that of the Po and Romagna regions, with which brachycephaly seemed to bring it closer and at the same time is rather unfavorable to the hypothesis of the Balkan origin of the Po brachyoids. 2. In the Emilia region (data from Giuffrida-Ruggeri) the mass of the population is brachiortocephalus. There are only very few dolicho-platycephalics. 3. In the Marches, district of Camerino (data of the law), we have a very mixed population in terms of height, as well as for the horizontal cephalic index; there exists with considerable frequency a rather low and long element, whose affinities it is necessary to establish on the basis of facial characters. This rather low element would seem more frequent in the ancient Camerino skulls, certainly belonging to the Umbrians (data from Frassetto). 4. In Umbria, a series of Todi (data from Zanolli) demonstrates an absolutely predominant brachiortocephaly, but also reveals the undoubted presence of a platicephalic but short type, to which Sera therefore tends to preclude xanthocroic affinities. Another smaller and more evident group in the female series may be xanthocroic affinities. 5. The series of skulls of ancient Pompeii (illustrated by Nicolucci) clearly establishes the presence of two components, one rather long (index 75-80) and platycephalic, the other shorter (index 79-84) and orthocephalic. The study of the facial characters of 20 pieces of this series, which are preserved in the Institute of Anthropology in Naples, demonstrated to Sera the absolute absence of a xanthocroic type. The skulls all belong to the Ethiopian-Caucasian type (see physiognomy: Ethnic facial physiognomy). While not wanting to exclude that a greater number of cases may result in the presence of the xanthocroic type, Sera believes that this may have been rare in any case, which, moreover, the murals of Pompeii confirm, both for the colors of the eyes, of the skin, of the hair of the subjects depicted therein, both for the facial characters. The series of ancient Pompeian crani is very important, because it demonstrates the presence of a platycephalic element in very low latitudes in Italy, having to exclude an access from the north due to its frequency (over half of the cases), an assumption that would appear at first , given that Pompeii was in an area of considerable ethnic attraction. 6. A Messina series (Mondio data) overall has a long orthocephalic form. There are few brachyoids. On the other hand, there is a small and very long platicephalic group, which is difficult to attribute to a specific type. Another Sicilian series, but from different places (Moschen data), confirms the Messina series data. 7. The series of Sardinian skulls illustrated by Duckworth have long orthocephalic forms, almost in a state of absolute purity.
These data on the height of the skull, although still rather scarce, allow us to better interpret the facts that bring to light the three great papers of Livi, making us see links where it would seem they were only differences and differences where it would seem that identities existed, if we were limited to the cephalic index only. Unfortunately, however, we still lack a systematic diagnostic research on the descriptive characters of the face, a research that would be of far greater importance for the clarification of Italian ethnic relations. However, Sera believes that by far the predominant facial type in Italy is the Ethiopian-Caucasian, which is perhaps at its highest purity in Calabria. For Sardinia it would not be able to exclude the confluence with other facial types, although they are common with these horizontal cephalic index, height of the skull, complexion, etc. The uniqueness of type of Sardinia could be only apparent and come from the choice of the characters used for the measures, characters that would be much less valid than those described on the face, to give us the fundamental racial distinctions. According to Sera, the unity of the so-called Mediterraneans, even if only dolichocephalics are to be considered as such, is quite illusory and it is precisely the character, secondary and subordinate in its value, of the long shape of the cerebral skull, which creates this illusory unity. But, beyond that, there is no positive reason for excluding brachyoids from the Mediterranean, which certainly have nothing to do with Asia, as Sergi would like. The uniqueness of type of Sardinia could be only apparent and come from the choice of the characters used for the measures, characters that would be much less valid than those described on the face, to give us the fundamental racial distinctions. According to Sera, the unity of the so-called Mediterraneans, even if only dolichocephalics are to be considered as such, is quite illusory and it is precisely the character, secondary and subordinate in its value, of the long shape of the cerebral skull, which creates this illusory unity. But, beyond that, there is no positive reason for excluding brachyoids from the Mediterranean, which certainly have nothing to do with Asia, as Sergi would like. The uniqueness of type of Sardinia could be only apparent and come from the choice of the characters used for the measures, characters that would be much less valid than those described on the face, to give us the fundamental racial distinctions. According to Sera, the unity of the so-called Mediterraneans, even if only dolichocephalics are to be considered as such, is quite illusory and it is precisely the character, secondary and subordinate in its value, of the long shape of the cerebral skull, which creates this illusory unity. But, beyond that, there is no positive reason for excluding brachyoids from the Mediterranean, which certainly have nothing to do with Asia, as Sergi would like. to give us the basic racial distinctions. According to Sera, the unity of the so-called Mediterraneans, even if only dolichocephalics are to be considered as such, is quite illusory and it is precisely the character, secondary and subordinate in its value, of the long shape of the cerebral skull, which creates this illusory unity. But, beyond that, there is no positive reason for excluding brachyoids from the Mediterranean, which certainly have nothing to do with Asia, as Sergi would like. to give us the basic racial distinctions. According to Sera, the unity of the so-called Mediterraneans, even if only dolichocephalics are to be considered as such, is quite illusory and it is precisely the character, secondary and subordinate in its value, of the long shape of the cerebral skull, which creates this illusory unity. But, beyond that, there is no positive reason for excluding brachyoids from the Mediterranean, which certainly have nothing to do with Asia, as Sergi would like.
Sera believes that, for Italy, the color shows a better discriminative character even than the cephalic index. This is for the reason that it helps us to distinguish two types that the cephalic index confuses, namely the brown dolichocephalic type, so-called Mediterranean, and the clear dolichocephalic type, so-called Nordic or xanthocroic. It has been seen that a very light color is all over the Alpine belt, but here we no longer have to do with the xanthocroic type, but with the high mountain type, brachiplaticephalic, the true alpine type, which is different from the brachyoid type which we find widespread in the Po valley, which type has a darker color. To this alpine type, or rather to one of its tall varieties, perhaps, but not with certainty, the pale color of the Veneto has yet to be mainly attributed. This leads to the apparently singular fact that in upper Italy the xanthroic type would be present with a certain frequency only in the northern and western part of Lombardy. Here, however, it would present itself with the three classic characteristics: dolichocephaly, light complexion, tall stature. The distribution map of the cephalic index by mandates is rather favorable to the hypothesis that the brachycephaly of the Po valley is the evolution of Ligurian dolichocephaly. Within a stratification of brown dolico-orthocephalics across the entire Po valley, three brachycephalic centers would have been produced, one for Piedmont, the other for lower Lombardy and western Emilia, the third for Romagna. But the most singular fact that the two great papers of Livi bring to light, according to Sera, it is the presence of a strong xanthroic component throughout central and especially eastern Italy: Umbria, Tuscany, Abruzzo and the northern and eastern part of southern Italy; Molise, Beneventano, northern Puglia, northern and eastern part of Lucania. The dispersed offshoots of the type found in other parts of the peninsula and in Sicily would radiate from this area. The xanthocroic type would be practically absent in Sardinia.
The location of the largest mass of this type suggests that it came from the north and the east, that is, that it descended into Italy, following the Adriatic coast, without penetrating further into the Po valley, but, a much more important deduction, it seems that a as it descends towards the south, it has its seat in the mountains. Here we can think of a preference originally given to this environment, due to a lower resistance of the type itself to the hot climate of the Italian south or also because the type, once extended to the coast, has disappeared there due to eliminative selection. In any case, from the distribution of the cephalic index that we have seen in the northern part of southern Italy, it is clear that the said type had to peripherally reject a brown and brachyoid population, which one has reason to believe was indigenous to the region. The population of ancient Pompeii demonstrates precisely the characteristics of these people rejected by the Apennines, before they suffered widespread contamination. On the stretch of the Apennines in question, that is, the highest areas contained platicefali, dolicoid or brachyoid as they were; the lower areas, but always mountainous, brachiortocephalic. It is natural that both were promiscuously rejected towards the West. In central Italy, according to Sera, the peripheral rejection of the brachyoids, high and low, primitive inhabitants, would not be so evident so far, due to the different orographic characteristics of the region, where parallel valleys predominate and in a north-south direction, while we have the opposite conditions in the aforementioned region (valleys arranged from east to west). The brachyoids there would have spread among the xanthroic dolicoids. But careful research for smaller territorial units of the districts should make the phenomenon manifest. In any case, the mountainous site of this xanthocroic type would be the reason for the fact observed by Livi of the lower index and the paler color of the mountaineers of central and southern eastern Italy. It is probable that this xanthocroic type descended in Italy at the time of the Iron, if not earlier, and that it was the bearer of the Aryan language. The prehistoric series of Alfedena should contain this type abundantly, according to Sera. But the southernmost part of the relatively light-colored area (Benevento, Avellinese and, sporadically, the whole southern Calabrian and Sicilian) perhaps owes its character to much more recent inflows (Lombards, Normans). The absence of xanthocroic facial characters in the Pompeii series demonstrates the late arrival of the clear type characters in the region, characters that we find quite frequent nowadays.
Sera provisionally and generally reconstructs the anthropological events of the Italian peninsula in the following way: in times of geological antiquity a human type with predominantly Ethiopian-Caucasian facial characters covered the peninsula (in certain regions, however, relatively early mixtures with the two are not excluded. Negritoid and Atlanto-Indic facial types). This type was dark, short-stature, long-skulled, and ortho-hypsycephalic. Here and there in the peninsula, at the advent of the Glacial, this type had to undergo climatic influences, which modified it somewhat, causing it to deviate locally more or less in the sense of the morphology of the Neanderthal race (see paleoanthropology). It is doubtful that in Italy, however, a typical morphology of this breed, as we see it in France, has ever been achieved. Only perhaps some characters, such as Platicephaly, were clearly produced, always in small and isolated areas. The belonging of the fossil skull of Saccopastore, recently found, to the Neanderthal race seems to Sera, until better evidence, very doubtful. With the reestablishment of the current climate, the mountains were once again inhabited and while the platycephalics were pushed to the highest areas, both on the Alps and on the Apennines, the inhabitants of the underlying mountainous areas evolved towards brachiortocephaly. This occurred, however, only for the regions where the mountain masses have a large surface extension, not for those where, such as Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, they have a rather linear extension. The populations of these regions remained dolicho-orthypsycephalic, as we currently find them. they were produced clearly, always in small and isolated areas. The belonging of the fossil skull of Saccopastore, recently found, to the Neanderthal race seems to Sera, until better evidence, very doubtful. With the reestablishment of the current climate, the mountains were once again inhabited and while the platycephalics were pushed to the highest areas, both on the Alps and on the Apennines, the inhabitants of the underlying mountainous areas evolved towards brachiortocephaly. This occurred, however, only for the regions where the mountain masses have a large surface extension, not for those where, such as Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, they have a rather linear extension. The populations of these regions remained dolicho-orthypsycephalic, as we currently find them. they were produced clearly, always in small and isolated areas. The belonging of the fossil skull of Saccopastore, recently found, to the Neanderthal race seems to Sera, until better evidence, very doubtful. With the reestablishment of the current climate, the mountains were once again inhabited and while the platycephalics were pushed to the highest areas, both on the Alps and on the Apennines, the inhabitants of the underlying mountainous areas evolved towards brachiortocephaly. This occurred, however, only for the regions where the mountain masses have a large surface extension, not for those where, such as Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, they have a rather linear extension. The populations of these regions remained dolicho-orthypsycephalic, as we currently find them. The belonging of the fossil skull of Saccopastore, recently found, to the Neanderthal race seems to Sera, until better evidence, very doubtful. With the reestablishment of the current climate, the mountains were once again inhabited and while the platycephalics were pushed to the highest areas, both on the Alps and on the Apennines, the inhabitants of the underlying mountainous areas evolved towards brachiortocephaly. This occurred, however, only for the regions where the mountain masses have a large surface extension, not for those where, such as Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, they have a rather linear extension. The populations of these regions remained dolicho-orthypsycephalic, as we currently find them. The belonging of the fossil skull of Saccopastore, recently found, to the Neanderthal race seems to Sera, until better evidence, very doubtful. With the reestablishment of the current climate, the mountains were once again inhabited and while the platycephalics were pushed to the highest areas, both on the Alps and on the Apennines, the inhabitants of the underlying mountainous areas evolved towards brachiortocephaly. This occurred, however, only for the regions where the mountain masses have a large surface extension, not for those where, such as Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, they have a rather linear extension. The populations of these regions remained dolicho-orthypsycephalic, as we currently find them. the mountains were once again inhabited and while the platycephalics were pushed to the highest areas, both on the Alps and on the Apennines, the inhabitants of the mountainous areas below evolved towards brachiortocephaly. This occurred, however, only for the regions where the mountain masses have a large surface extension, not for those where, such as Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, they have a rather linear extension. The populations of these regions remained dolicho-orthypsycephalic, as we currently find them. the mountains were once again inhabited and while the platycephalics were pushed to the highest areas, both on the Alps and on the Apennines, the inhabitants of the mountainous areas below evolved towards brachiortocephaly. This occurred, however, only for the regions where the mountain masses have a large surface extension, not for those where, such as Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, they have a rather linear extension. The populations of these regions remained dolicho-orthypsycephalic, as we currently find them. Sicily and Sardinia have a rather linear extension. The populations of these regions remained dolicho-orthypsycephalic, as we currently find them. Sicily and Sardinia have a rather linear extension. The populations of these regions remained dolicho-orthypsycephalic, as we currently find them.
The evolution towards brachycephaly in the Po valley was perhaps later, if not due to the slow immigration of the surrounding mountain brachyoids, as the Pliocene gulf filled up and became habitable. In the Romagna area, however, Sera tends to see a persistence, in the north, of the most primitive type that inhabited Italy, with the only notable variation of brachycephaly, but less modified than in other places. Another area of relative persistence of the type in its characters is that of the Lucchesia, where the evolution instead would have been determined in the stature. In the south the primitive Italic type would have been preserved less altered in Calabria. This relatively simple state of affairs was modified by advents of the xanthocrid type in very different epochs. By far the most important advent was certainly the one that occurred in the Bronze Age or, more certainly, in the Iron Age. The possession of this metal gave the people who brought it an advantage, which, for a long time perhaps, made up for the relative scarcity of the number and allowed them to settle largely in the central parts of the peninsula, while remaining preferably in the mountainous areas and, little by little gradually, merging with the pre-existing population. The different barbarian invasions, which occurred in later times, brought not so great changes. Perhaps the largest of them is that of the north-western area of Lombardy, which we have seen, perhaps determined by the Lombards. which, for a long time perhaps, made up for the relative scarcity of the number and allowed them to settle largely in the central parts of the peninsula, remaining however preferably in the mountainous areas and, little by little, merging with the pre-existing population. The different barbarian invasions, which occurred in later times, brought not so great changes. Perhaps the largest of them is that of the north-western area of Lombardy, which we have seen, perhaps determined by the Lombards. which, for a long time perhaps, made up for the relative scarcity of the number and allowed them to settle largely in the central parts of the peninsula, remaining however preferably in the mountainous areas and, little by little, merging with the pre-existing population. The different barbarian invasions, which occurred in later times, brought not so great changes. Perhaps the largest of them is that of the north-western area of Lombardy, which we have seen, perhaps determined by the Lombards.
The various advent of people by sea, Greek, Albanian, Slavic colonizations, including also the Etruscan ones, cannot have produced profound changes even locally; in any case, these changes can be documented with extreme difficulty, for different reasons.
