How did Otis T. Mason propose studying cultural traits such as basketry?

Otis T. Mason, who served as curator of ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution, proposed a taxonomic approach to studying cultural traits like basketry to determine whether they arose through independent innovation or diffusion.1

In an 1887 article, Mason argued that scholars should conduct a systematic comparison of individual traits without initially considering their specific cultural or environmental contexts. He believed that by treating cultural traits similarly to biological variations—such as analyzing the development of a bird's wing from basal to advanced forms—researchers could create sequences for cultural artifacts.1

Mason posited that if a trait like basketry displayed many basal forms, it suggested independent development, whereas a single or limited number of basal forms would indicate diffusion. He maintained that this method was necessary to uncover the universal laws governing cultural evolution, arguing that studying traits within broader contexts would not advance this scientific goal. This methodology was later challenged by Franz Boas, who advocated for particularism and argued that cultures should be studied as holistic, historically unique entities.1