He is known for identifying six primeval culture complexes in the Oceania region, given in his book "Ethnologie": Tasmanian culture, Old Australian boomerang culture, Totemic hunter culture, Moitey complex (two class horticulturists culture), Melenesian bow culture, and Polynesian patrilineal culture.
He is recognized for pinpointing six ancestral cultural groups in Oceania, as detailed in his work "Ethnologie": Tasmanian culture, Old Australian boomerang culture, Totemic hunter culture, Moitey complex (two class horticultural cultures), Melenesian bow culture, and Polynesian patrilineal culture.