How did the idea for this study come about? What was its background?
As with anything, there is some background. 20s-30s of the last century. In the 1990s, extensive anthropological studies of the population of Latvia took place – moreover, they were focused not only on the fixation of physical development parameters, but also on the functional and health status, heredity. Already in the 20s, it became clear that this research cannot be reduced only to physical features and the determination of anthropological types, because no ethnically pure Latvian ethnos will be found, taking into account the variegated pages of our history. Starting with the fact that the ethnic groups of Balts and Finns have mixed here, where are the other newcomers who also left their mark on our gene pool.
The work of Jēkabs Prīmanis in the second half of the 1930s must be mentioned here?
Yes, Prīmanis worked in this building (the interview takes place in Anatomicum – red.), and his scientific interests were related to anthropology. He was a student of Gaston Bakmanis, the founder of anthropology, a Swede by nationality, who was a professor of anatomy and histology at the Medical Faculty of the University of Latvia from 1920 to 1925. About 25 anthropological expeditions took place under the leadership of Primanis in various regions of Latvia – both in Piebalga, Vidzeme Jūrmala, and Zemgale. Why did you start with Piebalga? It is not explained anywhere, but one of the versions is because this region was considered the cradle of Latvian culture, where many well-known representatives of the intelligentsia once gathered. Let’s study
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Source: www.diena.lv
