Charles Gabriel Seligman pivoted from a career in medicine and pathology to become a prominent figure in British anthropology. Born in London in 1873, he received his medical training at St Thomas' Hospital before participating in the 1898 Cambridge University expedition to the Torres Strait, a journey that initiated his long-term focus on ethnographic field research.
Transition to Anthropology
After establishing himself as a physician, Seligman expanded his professional scope to include ethnology and anthropology. He conducted several major expeditions to New Guinea in 1904, Ceylon between 1906 and 1908, and the Sudan across two periods, 1909 to 1912 and 1921 to 1922. In 1905, he married Brenda Zara Salaman, an ethnologist who accompanied him on many of these trips. Her linguistic skills and access to women's ceremonies proved vital, and she frequently collaborated on his research and publications.
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Seligman served as the chair of Ethnology at the London School of Economics from 1913 until 1934. His role at the university provided a platform for his theories, which influenced notable anthropologists including Bronisław Malinowski, E. E. Evans-Pritchard, and Meyer Fortes. His contributions to the academic community were formalised through his selection as a Fellow of the Royal Society, and the Anthropology department at his institution later honoured him by naming the Seligman Library after him.
The Hamitic Hypothesis and Racial Theory
In his influential 1930 publication, Races of Africa, Seligman categorized the continent's populations into four distinct racial groups: Bushmanoids, Pygmies, Negroids, and Caucasoids. He was a primary proponent of the Hamitic hypothesis, which posited that African civilizations, linguistic developments, and technological advancements were driven by pastoralist Caucasoid Hamites from the north. These views reflected the racial science of the era but have since been discredited by the scientific community as white supremacist. Despite this, the book remained a staple in university history and anthropology curricula for decades, receiving multiple revisions well after his 1940 death in Oxford.
Fast facts
- Born: 1873, London
- Died: 1940, Oxford
- Profession: Physician, ethnologist, anthropologist
- Education: St Thomas' Hospital
- Key Academic Post: Chair of Ethnology, London School of Economics
- Spouse: Brenda Zara Salaman
- Notable Membership: Fellow of the Royal Society
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the Hamitic hypothesis?
It was a theory popularized by Seligman that suggested North and Northeast African civilizations were created by incoming pastoralist Hamites, rather than indigenous populations, a view now widely discredited.
Did Seligman work alone on his ethnographic studies?
No, he frequently collaborated with his wife, Brenda Seligman, who was an ethnologist and contributed significantly to his fieldwork in Ceylon and the Sudan.
Achievements
- Fellow of the Royal Society
- Held posts at University of London
