"Tobacco and its Use in Africa," part of the Fieldiana Popular Series, Anthropology, no. 29, explores the history and cultural significance of tobacco across the African continent. Written by Ralph Linton, Wilfrid Dyson Hambly, and Berthold Laufer, this study, first published in 1929, delves into the diverse ways tobacco has been integrated into various African societies. From its ritualistic applications to its social and economic roles, the book examines the plant's impact on different cultures. The authors draw on extensive research to present a comprehensive overview, making it a valuable resource for those interested in the anthropology of Africa and the global history of tobacco use. This detailed account provides insights into the interactions between cultures and the adoption and adaptation of foreign commodities. A significant contribution to anthropological studies, this book remains relevant for its detailed documentation of historical practices. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The first fifteen pages of this learned study are the ones of chief interest to students of the classics. In the Memoirs of the Four Worthies or Lords of the Liang Dynasty , written by Chang Yüe (667-730 A.D.), a story is told about an island in the Western Sea (Mediterranean) where there is an inaccessible ravine in which precious stones lie. The inhabitants throw flesh into this ravine. Birds pick up the flesh in their beaks and as they fly, they drop the precious stones. The men of the country are clever workers of gems, which are called Fu-lin after the name of the country. Fu-lin is the Chinese name for some part of the Roman Empire, probably Syria. A legend similar in all its essential features is found in Epiphanius, bishop of Constantia in Cyprus in the fourth century. Dr. Laufer points out the close likeness of this legend to the story of the Arabians and their curious method of obtaining cinnamon told by Herodotus iii. 111, and to a somewhat similar tale in Pliny N.H. xxxviii. 33, but prudently refrains from attempting to link them closely. The source of the legend he finds in the Hellenistic Orient. To one already impressed with the fact that Hellenistic artistic motives influenced early Chinese and even Japanese art in a marked degree, the thesis is in itself reasonable, and Dr. Laufer's proofs are convincing. There are two further points of interest in this study for the classicist and archaeologist. The author is convinced (pp. 42-46) that the adamas of the ancients was actually the diamond, but concludes that ancient gem-workers did not understand the process of cutting and polishing diamonds to add to their luster (pp. 46-50). The study contains other information which will be attractive chiefly to Sinologists and to those interested in the history of the diamond. In this pamphlet Dr. Laufer has presented another useful link of the broken chain of evidence which connects Hellenistic-Roman civilization with the Far East. Curiously enough the classical archaeologist and the classicist seem to regard the evidence upon this new sphere of Greek influence either with suspicion or with apathy. - Classical Philology [1918]

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.