CHAPTER III ANTHROPOLOGY
The Anthropological Survey of India continued during the year their various research and publications programmes. An account of these activities is given below:-
Physical Anthropology Wing The fifth and final round of field investigation on the All India Bio-anthropological Survey has been completed. In all, samples were drawn from 330 locations from all over India covering 33,000 households in total. Eighteen papers covering different aspects of population, ethnicity, physique and morbidity based on 96 locations are in the process of finalisation for the first volume of the series to be published.
A volume containing the basic data collected in the course of All India Anthropometric Survey (south zone) and two volumes on the analysed material and tables have been finalised for publication. The transcription of the data of the All-India Anthropometric Survey of other zones and the calculation of statistical constants from the Assam, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab states have been completed.
The first field work in search of fossil hominids in the Siwalik Hills has been carried out in collaboration with the Punjab Uni- versity, Chandigarh. The report on the ancient, human remains excavated from Burzahom (Kashmir) has been submitted for publication, the report on human skeletal remains from Rupar (Panjab) has been completed. Data on odontometric measurements of 2689 teeth of modem crania from Eastern India and on dental morphology of the Negritos of Andamans have been processed. An inventory of ancient human skeletal remains from Mohejodaro and Rupar has been nearly completed.
Seminar on Human variation in India : A week long seminar on "Human Variation in India " was held from the 27th June to 2nd July, 1977, with physical anthropologists of the Survey and several scholars from various universities and institutions. Regional and subregional overviews of the available information
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about variation in human biological characters and theoretical probes into the nature and trends of variation in relation to age, effects of inbreeding and the impact of socio-economic changes on human physique and physiology were discussed. The seminar proceedings are being edited for publication bring together data from all over the country for conceptualisation and formulation of research projects on human variation.
Data on the genetical demography of the Telugu speaking fishermen of the Orissa coast, Jaintias of Meghalaya, Darve Gonds of Chandrapur, Muslims of Diamond Harbour area (West Bengal), Car Nicobarese of Nicobar islands and three tribes of Rajasthan have been collected and analysed. Field work on the project : (i) Genetic implications of marriage patterns and fertility among Chenchus, (ii) Demogenetic study of the Sikh Sonar families of Shillong, and (iii) Demographic study of a genetic isolate in Andhra Pradesh is being carried out. Papers on genetical demography of the Malias of Orissa, Kunbis of Nagpur, Muslim women of East Nimar (Madhya Pradesh), fertility and natural selection among the Maheshwari of Poona and Effects of ABO blood group incompatible mating based on a sample of Muslim population of West Bengal are completed. Reports on the genetical demography of haemophilin and diabetes mellitus and reports on the effect of lacation on postpartum amenorrhoes and demography of the Kayasthas in Metropolitan Calcutta have been drafted. Demographic and physical effects of inbreeding have been studied especially on Telugu populations.
Dermatoglyphic research has been conducted on the populations of West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar islands and reports on Dermatoglyphic studies in Mysore Castes with special reference to mental disorders and familial deafness have been continued.
Four papers have been prepared on the food habits, nutrition and nutritional anthropometry of Indian tribes. A paper entitled Alchoholic beverages in tribal India and their role in the nutrition of people have been drafted. Reports entitled Nutritional implication of some cultural practices in the Indian context and Nutritional background and growth of infants in two islands of Lakshadweep have been completed.
The data on blood groups, viz., MNS and Rh systems, collected from central and western Himalayas, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa are being analysed. A study on
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age-sex variation in antigenic strength, and bio-content in relation to blood types have also been conducted and results presented in ISHG Congress in Madras. Data on other genetic traits, namely, P.T.C: and colour blindness and also data on middle phalangeal hair, hand clasping arm folding, etc. have been collected from Jammu and Kashmir, some parts of central India and Dehra Dun city. Haemoglobin variants were studied among the Rajput and Bhoksa tribes with the help of paper electrophoresis. Sex chromatin has been tested in suspected cases of sex chromosomal anomalies and their uneffected relatives.
Field investigation relating to study of growth and nutrition of school-going children was carried out in Dehra Dun city and on different other population of India. The first draft of a chapter on Stature in India has been made. Morpho-genetical variation was studied among the Parsis and Jains of Maharashtra. Report on blood group distribution in tribal population of Chhatishgarh, Red-green colour vision deficiency in certain caste groups of Murshidabad, Child birth and its complications are completed. Progress has been made on report on menarcheal age, digital formulae, occipital hair whorl, ABH secretion, bilateral asymmetry in skinfold thickness, etc., compilation, processing and analytical review of the data for the proposed volumes Genetic markers in Indian population and Tribal compendium.
Cultural Anthropology Wing The Cultural Anthropology Wing of the Anthropological Survey of India during the year 1977-78 completed the fieldwork on two major All-India Projects viz., Tribal Customary Law and Culture Traits and Culture Areas Survey, organised a seminar on Tribal Economy, and was engaged in editing a volume on Tribal Movements, besides being involved in other research projects.
Reports on Tribal Customary Laws and Culture Traits and Culture Areas Survey are being prepared. The object of organising the seminar on Tribal Economy was to understand the economic problems of Indian tribes. Besides research personnel of the Survey, the seminar was also attended by a large number of scholars from different parts of India, Editing of the papers submitted during the seminar is under progress. The volume on Tribal Movements mentioned above is also the outcome of an All-India seminar organised by the Survey before. Another
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major work attended to was the Area Study of Manipur and Surguja area in Madhya Pradesh.
Shorter projects which have been completed during the year are :
(i) Role and status of the Hindu and Muslim. women in the slum area of Calcutta
(ii) The Onge of Little Andaman.
(iii) Lahoul of Himachal Pradesh.
(iv) Economic development of the Riang of Tripura (at the request of Government of Tripura-being a project in applied anthropology).
(v) Socio-economic changes among the scavengers of Mysore.
(vi) Islamisation of the Tribes of Central India.
Research Projects Under Progress These include studies on some tribes and castes of the Himalayan Division of Uttar Pradesh, Karghil of Ladakh, Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Goa, Daman and Diu. Studies on the regional variability of the Muslim society and culture in India, caste and class structure in West Bengal, social organisation of a factory and middle class women in the urban area of Calcutta, and bonded labourer of Uttar Pradesh are also, continuing.
Anthropological Survey of India is also preparing reports on the history and growth of the Survey and a tribal, compendium for presentation at the International Congress of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences to be held in India.
Psychology Section Completed projects are (i) culture contact and personality structure of the Buil and Gadiba tribes, (ii) personality structure of the Harijans and tribes of Chotanagpur. Work under progress includes :
(i) Socialization and Personality structure of the Juang of Orissa.
(ii) Child rearing practices in a slum of Calcutta.
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(iii) Ethno-psychological aspects of the Mizo students of Shillong.
(iv) The Psychology section is also engaged in an all- India project on psychological aspects of the people of India. This work is related to the all-India Culture Traits and Culture Areas survey.
Linguistics Section Completed projects are:
(i) Ethno-linguistic problem of Darjeeling Himalayas.
(ii) Study of inter-tribal communication between two districts of Orissa.
(iii) Folktales of Bison-horn Maria,
(iv) Folk-cult of `Panchananda'
(v) Socio-linguistic Survey of Tripura.
Reports under preparation include :
(i) Linquistic subgrouping of the north and north- eastern India hill districts.
(ii) Language of the Jarawa of the Andamanas
(iii) Sacred complex in West Bengal.
(iv) Linguistic aspects of the `Culture Traits and Culture Areas Survey'.
(v) Hindi translation of Folktales of Maria Gond and `Peasant Life of India'.
Human Ecology Section A long-term project on shifting cultivation in India is under progress. Fieldwork in some areas has already been completed. A project on `Development of Transport System in Mysore' is continuing.
Museum Museum section was engaged in collection, classification, pre- servation, arrangement and documentation of museum specimens of different regional museums. Work for formal opening of the museum at Jagdalpur (Madhya Pradesh) is under progress. Besides these activities technical guidance was also given to other institutions.
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Library The library (including the regional libraries) has added 1,468 books and 1,691 issues of journals during the period under review.
Publication During the period under review, 4 memoirs, 5 occasional pub- lications, 2 issues of bulletin and 3 reports were published. Pre- paration has been made for publishing of several other volumes of research reports.
Collaborative Research Programme Under this programme collaborative research was undertaken with Gauhati University, Delhi University, Punjab University and Bombay University.
National Museum of Man This will be an institution where man and his activities from the earliest pre-historic times to the present day shall be dealt with taking into account the biological and cultural development of Man, considering Man in the total perspective of mankind. The focus of the National Museum of Mail will, therefore, be on the following topics :
(i) Man's bio-cultural adaptation and conquest of nature;
(ii) The evolution of the Indian man in bio-cultural aspects;
(iii) Development of Indian society in its unity and diversity.
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