Árbók Háskóla Íslands - 01.02.1997, Page 420
418
Árbók Háskóla íslands
og vörslu. Talið er, að „Ötzi“ hafi legið í yfir
4 þúsund ári í jökli í Týról.
Ráðstefna mannfræðinga frá mörgum
löndum var haldin í Zagreb í Króatíu sum-
arið 1993 á vegum Króatíska mannfræðifé-
Iagsins og Mannfræðistofnunar háskólans í
Zagreb, sem er á meðal Qölbreyttustu stofn-
ana sinnar tegundar í Evrópu. Ráðstefnan
var undir forsæti dr. Maver og dr. Rudan,
prófessora við þennan háskóla. Aðalvið-
fangsefni ráðstefnunnar nefndist Current
Topics in Historical Anthropology. Hélt
J. Ó. R þar fyrirlestur um sögulega mann-
fræði norður-evrópskra þjóða í boði ráð-
stefnuhaldara, en hann hefur áður haldið
fyrirlestra á vegum alþjóðlegrar mannfræði-
legrar fræðslustarfsemi, sem kallast Biolog-
ical School of Anthropology, og Króatíska
mannfræðifélagið hefur um árabil staðið að,
einkum í Zagreb og Dubrovnik. Félagið er á
meðal fjölmennustu og starfsömustu mann-
fræðifélaga í Evrópu. Það skipulagði og hélt
eitt af alþjóðaþingum mannfræðinga í Zagreb.
Á fyrrnefndri ráðstefnu var J. Ó. P. tilkynnt,
að Króatíska mannfræðifélagið hefði kjörið
hann heiðursfélaga sinn.
J. Ó. P. flutti erindið Anthropological
Institute at the University oflceland. Glimp-
ses of its Activities á opinberum fundi við
háskólann í Mainz 1993.
IX. International Congress on Circum-
polar Health var haldinn í Reykjavík 20.-25.
júní 1993. Forseti var dr. Jóhann Axelsson,
prófessor við læknadeild H. í. Var J. Ó. P.
beðinn um að halda þrjá fyrirlestra á ráð-
steínunni, en lét nægja tvo. Umræddir tveir
fyrirlestrar voru gefnir úr í Proceedings of
the 9th International Congress on Circum-
polar Health (Rvk. 1994) og nefnast Secular
Changes in Icelanders (höf. J. Ó. P.) og
Comparison of Hair and Iris Pigmentation in
Scandinavian Populations (höf. J. Ó. P., A.W.
Eriksson, H. Forsius og J. Fellman). - Einnig
voru flutt erindi í Dubrovnik og á Isle of Hvar
í Króatíu (um frekari rit frá Mannfræði-
stofnun, sjá rit háskólakennara frá þessum
tíma). Tuttugu ára afmælis MSHÍ var minnst
með ráðstefnu í september 1995,
English Summary
The Institute of Anthropology at the
University of Iceland.
General
The Institute of Anthropology at the
University of Iceland (IAUI) is an in-
dependent research organization not attached
to any faculty of the University.
Objectives
The Institute’s primary objective IS
anthropological research on Icelanders,
especially as regards physical characteristics.
Activities
Most of the Institute’s projects are con-
nected to long-term studies. The institute
registered various information concerning
social, genealogical, historical and occasion-
ally psychological and health factors. It also
made various body measurements, blood
groups and other genetic factors were
surveyed, as well as hair and eye colour,
fingerprints and lines in the palm of the hand.
Samples of hair were collected for ex'
amination and subjects photographed. The
main emphasis was on surveying various
physical characteristics and inherited char-
acteristics according to district and age and
social groups. This has biological and hist-
orical significance, among other things. in
connection with research on the origin of the
Icelandic people. The influence of inbreeding
and outbreeding was investigated by coffl-
paring the indigenous population of a given
area with the descendants of immigrants to
the region. Adaptation to an urban environ-
ment was investigated by comparing town
dwellers with former rural inhabitants or
relatives who Iive in the country. Changes m
various physical characteristics of Icelanders
occurring in the last half of the 20th century
were surveyed. Growth of school children was
examined, and a study comparing Icelandic
immigrants to North America and their
progeny with Icelanders is under way. Thc
director of the Institute is thc initiator an
director of all research projects. He is engage
in research as well as data collection an
evaluation. Assistants are hired for tempora|y
projects.