Ethnohistorical processes, demographic structure and linguistic determinants of the Island of Vis.

The present paper aims at describing the most relevant background data on geomorphological, economic, ethnohistoric, demographic and linguistic features of the island of Vis. As an introduction to future holistic anthropological research on the island, it seeks to identify both internal and external impulses of change and/or continuity of the island population structure within a wider socio-cultural and historical context. The ethnohistorical and demographic data indicate a higher degree of isolation throughout history as compared to other islands in the region and a continuous depopulation trend during the last century. The analysis of the existing linguistic data on two main settlements shows a certain amount of intradialectal micro-differentiation, which is mainly due to various social and non-linguistic reasons.

Pro-longed exile and potential integration processes in Croatia.

The aim of this paper is to assess initial contact, social distance and interethnic attitudes between refugee/displaced groups and Croatian host society in Dalmatia as a predictor of possible integration processes. In spite of many similarities between the analyzed groups (Bosnian refugees, displaced persons from Eastern Slavonia and Dalmatian population), sharing a period of common history and linguistic features that should facilitate integration, the results reveal complex and ambivalent attitudes of these groups, socially differentiated by age, gender and education. The study indicates the need for major efforts in stimulating integration and enabling the development of intercultural identities as a prerequisite for social stability.

Continuity and change reflected in synchronic and diachronic linguistic variation of Middle Dalmatia.

The present paper analyses the geographical patterning of the two main dialects of the Croatian language in contemporary Middle Dalmatia, using language data as an indicator of population change by migration, with its wider cultural implications based on acculturation processes. It is shown that the synchronic evidence of the dialect and sub-dialect patterns of this area reflects more extensive interrelationships between different cultural substrata in terms of both little (local) and great (Islamic and Latin) traditions.

The comparison of two methods in the anthropological study of linguistic differentiation.

The paper presents the application of hidden Markov models (HMM) in the analysis of the linguistic microdifferentiation of 48 reproductively isolated populations in the Eastern Adriatic. The mathematical method is described in detail when applied for the recognition of the two main dialects (cakavian and stokavian) present in the investigated area, using two distinguished HMM. The resulting classification of villages is compared to those of the clustering methods applied previously for the same purpose.

Migration within the island of Korcula, Yugoslavia.

For several centuries the village populations on the Yugoslav island of Korcula have remained essentially isolated from each other and from the mainland. Historical, linguistic and biological data indicate that systematic population pressure predominantly came from the coastal area of the Balkan peninsula westward onto the island. To examine short and long range migration on the island, data on the place of birth of parents of adult inhabitants (1168 subjects) were presented and migration matrices analysed applying a gamma function. Most examinees were born in the same village as their parents (86.39%); only 6.33% of the parents migrated between villages on the island; and village endogamy is quite high for the past four generations (75%). When inter-village migration has occurred, migration density is greatest at a distance of 8-12 km, rather than from the immediate neighbourhood. Short range migration occurs up to a mean distance of 33.98 km, long range migration over distances greater than 28 km.

Isolation by distance in Middle Dalmatia-Yugoslavia.

Parameters of Malécot's isolation-by-distance model are estimated for biological (anthropometric head and body dimensions, morphometric dimensions of metacarpal bones, quantitative and qualitative dermatoglyphic traits, and physiological/cardiorespiratory/variables) and linguistic distances and migrational kinship on the island of Korcula and the Peljesac peninsula in Middle Dalmatia, Croatia, Yugoslavia. Resulting parameters and the fit of the model are compared, for both regions, as well as with results of similar analysis in other parts of the world. The fit of the model is highly significant for migrational kinship and linguistic distances and less so for biological traits. Differences between these two populations, which live under basically similar ecological conditions, are explained by variation in biological and sociocultural history.

Historical processes and biological structure of the populations. Example from the Island of Korcula.

The importance of geographical distance as a determining factor of the population's biological and socio-cultural structure was studied on the island of Korcula, Yugoslavia. Migrational kinship coefficients, biological and linguistic distances were analysed in respect to isolation by distance, using Malecot's model. The fit of the model is highly significant for migrational kinship, linguistic, anthropometrical and physiological distances, while for morphometrical distances of metacarpal bones and dermatoglyphic distances, it is not adequate. The major conclusions reached through this analysis are in concordance with the known historical events in the entire region.