Paul Rivet
Encyclopedia
Paul Rivet was a French
ethnologist, who founded the Musée de l'Homme
in 1937. He was also one of the founders of the Comité de vigilance des intellectuels antifascistes
, an antifascist organization created in the wake of the February 6, 1934 far right riots.
Rivet proposed a theory according to which South America
was populated by settlers from Australia
and Melanesia
. Trained as a physician, he took part in the Second French Geodesic Mission to Ecuador
in 1901. He remained for five years in South America where he was mentored by Ecuadorian bishop, historian and archaeologist Federico González Suárez and began an ethnographic study of the Huaorani people of the Ecuadorian Amazon, then known as the Jívaro. When he returned to France, he was active with the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
, directed by René Verneau
.
He published several papers on his Ecuadorian research during and immediately following the trip, culminating in an extended volume co-authored with René Verneau between 1921 and 1922 under the title Ancient Ethnography of Ecuador. In 1926, Paul Rivet participated in the establishment of the Institut d'Ethnologie in Paris, where he taught many French ethnologists. In 1928, he succeeded René Verneau as director of the National Museum of Natural History.
Rivet's theory asserts that Asia
was the cradle of the American man, but also that migrations took place from Australia
some 6,000 years before, and from Melanesia
somewhat later. Les Origines de l'Homme Américain ("The Origins of the American Man") was published in 1943, and contains linguistic
and anthropological arguments which support his thesis.
In 1942, Paul Rivet went to Colombia
, where he founded the Anthropological Institute and Museum. Returning to Paris in 1945, he continued teaching while carrying on his research. His linguistic research introduced several new perspectives on the Aymara
and Quechua languages.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
ethnologist, who founded the Musée de l'Homme
Musée de l'Homme
The Musée de l'Homme was created in 1937 by Paul Rivet for the 1937 Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne. It is the descendant of the Musée d'Ethnographie du Trocadéro, founded in 1878...
in 1937. He was also one of the founders of the Comité de vigilance des intellectuels antifascistes
Comité de vigilance des intellectuels antifascistes
The Watchfulness Committee of Antifascist Intellectuals was a French political organization created in March 1934, in the wake of the February 6, 1934 riots organized by far right leagues, which had led to the fall of the second Cartel des gauches government...
, an antifascist organization created in the wake of the February 6, 1934 far right riots.
Rivet proposed a theory according to which South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
was populated by settlers from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
. Trained as a physician, he took part in the Second French Geodesic Mission to Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
in 1901. He remained for five years in South America where he was mentored by Ecuadorian bishop, historian and archaeologist Federico González Suárez and began an ethnographic study of the Huaorani people of the Ecuadorian Amazon, then known as the Jívaro. When he returned to France, he was active with the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
, directed by René Verneau
René Verneau
René Verneau was a French antropologist who was important in the study of the paleoanthropology. Among his work is the reconstruction of the Grimaldi man from Liguria, and study of the Guanches....
.
He published several papers on his Ecuadorian research during and immediately following the trip, culminating in an extended volume co-authored with René Verneau between 1921 and 1922 under the title Ancient Ethnography of Ecuador. In 1926, Paul Rivet participated in the establishment of the Institut d'Ethnologie in Paris, where he taught many French ethnologists. In 1928, he succeeded René Verneau as director of the National Museum of Natural History.
Rivet's theory asserts that Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
was the cradle of the American man, but also that migrations took place from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
some 6,000 years before, and from Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
somewhat later. Les Origines de l'Homme Américain ("The Origins of the American Man") was published in 1943, and contains linguistic
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and anthropological arguments which support his thesis.
In 1942, Paul Rivet went to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, where he founded the Anthropological Institute and Museum. Returning to Paris in 1945, he continued teaching while carrying on his research. His linguistic research introduced several new perspectives on the Aymara
Aymara language
Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia...
and Quechua languages.