The Irano-Afghan race or Iranid race is an obsolete racial classification of human beings based on a now-disproven theory of biological race. Some anthopologists of the 20th century classified the populations native to the

Iranian plateau The Iranian plateau or Persian plateau is a geological feature in Western Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia. It comprises part of the Eurasian Plate and is wedged between the Arabian Plate and the Indian Plate; situated between the Zagros ...

as belonging to this race, which was usually seen as a subrace of the

Caucasian race The Caucasian race (also Caucasoid or Europid, Europoid) is an obsolete racial classification of human beings based on a now-disproven theory of biological race. The ''Caucasian race'' was historically regarded as a biological taxon which, de ...

or the Mediterranean racial subtype of that race, depending on the authority consulted.

Physiognomy

American anthropologist

Carleton S. Coon Carleton Stevens Coon (June 23, 1904 – June 3, 1981) was an American anthropologist. A professor of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, lecturer and professor at Harvard University, he was president of the American Association of ...

described the Irano-Afghan race as a branch of the

Mediterranean race The Mediterranean race (also Mediterranid race) was a historical race concept that was a sub-race of the Caucasian race as categorised by anthropologists in the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. According to various definitions, it was said to be ...

, describing them as being long-faced, high-headed and leptorrhine (having long and narrow noses). By contrast, Swedish anthropologist

Bertil Lundman Bertil J. Lundman (September 28, 1899, Malmö – November 5, 1993) was a Swedish anthropologist. Early life Lundman was born on September 28, 1899, in Malmö. Career Lundman was an anthropologist. In the 1930s, he wrote an article in '' Zeitsch ...

postulates an "Iranid" subtype of his "Eastern Mediterranean" race. American anthropologist

Earnest Hooton Earnest Albert Hooton (November 20, 1887 – May 3, 1954) was an American physical anthropologist known for his work on racial classification and his popular writings such as the book ''Up From The Ape''. Hooton sat on the Committee on the Negro, ...

in 1946 describes the "Iranian Plateau type" as distinct from the Atlanto-Mediterranean one: According to Italian anthropologist

Renato Biasutti Renato Biasutti (San Daniele del Friuli, 22 March 1878 – Florence, 3 March 1965) was a notable Italian geographer, who published many works on physical anthropology. Life He studied in the University of Florence under the guidance of Giovann ...

the type was defined by: British anthropologist

John Lawrence Angel John Lawrence Angel (1915–1986) was a British-American biological anthropologist born on 21 March 1915 in London. His writings have had the biggest impact on paleodemography. Education His mother, Elizabeth, was an American classicist, and hi ...

, following Coon in 1971, discusses a " Nordic-Iranian type" in the following terms:

References

{{Historical definitions of race Historical definitions of race Pseudoscience

Physiognomy

See also

References