1. G.J. BARTSTRA, Co-ordinator of the ISIR Project, Department of Archaeology, University of Groningen.
In the Netherlands an interuniversity research project has begun, named ISIR (Irain Studies Interdisciplinary Research), aiming to increase and integrate knowledge in the fields of anthropology, archaeology, (development) administration, (ethno)botany, demography, geology, and linguistics, with the Bird's Head area of Irian Jaya (Indonesia, New Guinea) as the common field of study.
The archaeological part of the project has been delegated to the University of Groningen, Department of Archaeology (Biologisch- Archaeologisch Instituut), and as this institute maintains long-term cooperation in fieldwork with Indonesian counterparts, the National Research Centre of Archaeology (Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional) in Jakarta, and the Palaeontological Laboratory (Laboratorium Paleontologi) in Bandang, are automatically associated with ISIR.
Two young archaeologists have been attracted for fieldwork in Irian Jaya: Johan Jelsma and Juliette Pasveer. Address: Department of archaeology, University of Groningen, Poststraat 6, 9712 ER Groningen, the Netherlands. A small study tour in Irian Jaya has already been made, and contact has been establisehd with Bill Solheim, who did fieldwork himself in the area. Solheim came especially to Groningen to coach the two students, whose activities are expected to result in a Ph.D. thesis. Physical anthropology will have an important place in their research. The names of the Indonesian counterparts are not yet known, but will be announced in the next progress report.
The ISIR program issues a regular Newsletter, two of which have already appeared. Those interested may apply to J.Miedema, Rapenburg 35, 2311GG Leiden, the Netherlands.
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