Abstract

From the late nineteenth century, European ideas about African cattle breeds relied on the racial classification of African peoples, routed through Hamitic theory. As it were, anthropology influenced the reconstruction of cattle history, and the study of cattle breeds affected perceptions of race. The methods employed to classify African cattle included a range of sources with regards to past human migrations. Through the work of Hellmut Epstein, I detail how the Afrikander cattle breed was seen to signify the spread of an ancient white cultural influence in Africa. Comparisons from West Africa eventually challenged the historical premise of the breed’s classification.