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Otto Zdansky - Mannen Som Gjorde De Första Fynden Av Pekingmänniskan Avclasthor

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Otto Zdansky - Mannen Som Gjorde De Första Fynden Av Pekingmänniskan Avclasthor RÅTTANS ÅR o Arsbok om Kina Redaktion: Anders Lennartsson (redaktör) Erik Berg!öL Harriet Johansson, Per-Olof Lansing, Per-Olow Leijon, Torbjörn Loden, Hans Seyler. j I r .'"1 rna --r- e r r Svensk-kinesiska vänskapsförbundet I denna serie 1979 - Getens år 1985 - Oxens år 1980 - Apans år 1986 - Tigerns år 198 I - Tuppens år 1987 - Kaninens år 1982 - H undens år 1988 - Drakens år 1983 - Grisens år 1989 - Ormens år 1984 - Råttans år 1990 - Hästens år Redaktionell anmärkning Kinesiska namn transkriberas i huvudsak enli gt pinyin­ systemet, dvs fonetiskt med våra latinska bokstäver. Undantag är t ex "Peking" och " Kanton"', icke han­ kinesiska namn samt några kinesiska namn där artikelförfattaren förordat annan transkribering. Omslaget: Originalmålning för årsboken av Hu Shuang'an Konstnären Hu Shuang'an är 67 år och kommer från Xiangyang i provinsen Hubei. Han studerade redan på 30-talet djur- och landskapsmåleri . Han är medlem av konstnärsförbundet och sekreterare i Äldre kinesiska kalligrafers forskningssällskap. Bilderna från Svensk-kinesiska vänskapsförbundets bildarkiv om ej annat anges. ISBN 91-85538-11-6 © Svensk-kinesiska vänskapsförbundet Stockholm 1984. Ordfront tryckeri & förlag AB Otto Zdansky - mannen som gjorde de första fynden av pekingmänniskan AvClasThor Det går att föreställa sig ögonblicket: alma­ presentant i landet, faller in i den svenska nackan i portierlogen på Grand Hötel de Pekin hyllningskören börjar vetenskapsmännen visar den 22 oktober 1926. Strax efter lunchvi­ skruva på sig. De har inte tänkt sig att sitta en lans slut rör sig ett följe genom hotelJvestibu­ hel eftermiddag och bara höra svenskar hylla len. Portiern bugar sig, vinkar åt dörrpojkarna svenskar. Man väntar på det utannonserade att skynda på och noterar: viktiga meddelandet. - Aha, det har blivit dags för svenske kron­ Och det ska komma efter en lång inledning prinsen Gustaf Adolf och hans medhjälpare, av John Gunnar Andersson. herrarna Axel Lagrelius och Johan Gunnar - Vid undersökningar av det fossilmaterial Andersson att bege sig till Rockefellerinstitu­ som gjorts efter de av mig 1921 påbörjade och tet. av doktor Otto Zdansky ledda utgrävningarna Några minuter senare, ett kvarter österut i i Zhoukoudian sydväst om Peking, har upp­ den delen av Peking som kallas Tartarstaden, täckts två fossila människotänder, två kind­ möts sällskapet av institutets president, dok­ tänder tillhörande två individer. tor Henry S. Houghton. Han för dem vidare Publiken lyssnar spänt. Andersson fortsät• till ett fullsatt auditorium där representanter ter på sitt närkingskengelska mål: för allt vad Peking har att visa upp inom forsk­ - Vad som skänker detta fynd sitt särskilda, ning och vetenskap bänkat sig. ja, epokgörande intresse är, att det härleder Nu talar Henry S.Houghton: sig från själva begynnelsen av kvartärtiden. - Jag är glad att få hälsa kronprinsen väl• - Detta fynd bevisar, att människan har kommen till ett av de mest betydelsefulla ve­ uppträtt och levat här i dessa trakter för bortåt tenskapliga möten som hållits i Kina och jag är en halv miljon år sedan. Det är här alltså frå• särskilt glad för er närvaro vid det viktiga gan om ett av de äldsta spår av släktet homo meddelande som ska göras i eftermiddag. som över huvud taget gjorts. Vad som sedan följer är en rad artighetsbe­ När Andersson slutar tala följer ett par se­ tygelser: Kronprinsen hyllas av överdirektö• kunders tystnad. Alla tycks tänka efter vad ren Wong i Kinas geologiska undersökning för det han sagt kan betyda. Så bryter stormande sina insatser inom arkeologin och sitt arbete i applåder ut. Kommentarerna sprider sig i svenska Kinakommitten. Gustaf Adolf hyllar bänkraderna: sedan i sin tur Kina och den svenska Kina­ - Fantastiskt. Utomordentligt intressant. kommittens skattmästare, överintendenten Vilken forskarbragd. Axel Lagrelius. Först efter flera minuter lägger sig sorlet När också professor Johan Gunnar Anders­ och doktor Davidson Black kan kliva upp i son, svensk expert i Kinas geologiska under­ talarstolen för att kommentera det påstådda: sökning och Kinakommittens mångårige re- - Efter mycket funderande och noggranna 95 studier av det omtalade fyndet på fotografier Efter Anderssons död 1960 har uppfattning­ från Uppsala har jag kommit till samma slut­ en levt vidare att Andersson själv grävde fram sats som professor Andersson. Tänderna be­ de stora fynden. I mina nuvarande hemtrakter kräftar teorin om att människans vagga stått i i Närke, varifrån Andersson kom och dit han Centralasien. återvände på ålderns höst, är det allmänt ve­ Nya applåder, nya hyllningar. Så drar ve­ dertaget att säga "Johan Gunnar Andersson, tenskapsmännen sig över till Grand Hotel de 'Kina-Gunnar', det var han som hittade pe­ Pekin där Axel Lagrelius bjuder alla, som på kingmänniskan ." något sätt bidragit till professor Johan Gunnar På olika sätt har den felaktiga bilden om Anderssons lyckade forskningar och kron­ fynden förts vidare. En kunnig kinaexpert prinsens inledda rundresa i Kina, på middag i som Bo Gyllenvärd, tidigare chef för Östasi• festvåningen. atiska museet, skrev i sin uppsats om Anders­ Samma natt börjar nyheten kablas ut över son i 1980 års upplaga av årsboken Apans år världen: att: "Innan Andersson lämnade Kina fick han - Vid ett vetenskapligt sammanträde i Pe­ uppleva ännu en triumf då hans (min kurseve­ king har i dag avslöjats att fynd gjorts av två ring) fynd av fossila tänder från kalkstensgrot­ tänder som kan härröra från en 500000 år gam­ torna vid Zhoukoudian av de främsta paleon­ mal människa. to logerna erkändes tillhöra en hominid som Nu tror man sig äntligen vara en kinesisk, levat för ca 500000 år sedan"." förhistorisk människa på spåren - den som Även jag, tillsammans med författarkolle• senare kom att kallas pekingmänniskan. gan Stig Hansen, har i boken Peking mellan himmel och jord (1984) bidragit till att förvilla *** begreppen om vem som fann vad . Sommaren 1983 reste vi från Peking ut till - Att de här två tänderna kunde härröra från bergen vid Zhoukoudian för att se fyndplatsen en människoliknande varelse, en hominid , och följa Anderssons fotsprå. Vi visste då att visste jag redan 1921 när jag gjorde det första även Otto Zdansky varit här och antog att han fyndet i Zhoukoudian. Därför kom inte nyhe­ och Andersson grävt tillsammans 1921. Bilder ten som någon överraskning. i museet styrkte den uppfattningen. Inte ana­ Den som nu talar är den man som borde ha de vi då att den Otto Zdansky vi kunde se mottagit de stora hyllningarna i Peking den 22 avfotograferad vid fyndplatsen fortfarande är oktober 1926: professor Otto Zdansky. i livet och i detalj kan berätta om utgrävningar• Det var han som gjorde grovarbetet - gräv• na. de, noterade, ordnade transporter, sorterade Felet hade kunnat undvikas genom att vi vid och analyserade - men det var professor Jo­ hemkomsten till Sverige slagit upp bokstaven han Gunnar Andersson som genom olika skri­ Z i Uppsaladelen av telefonkatalogen och hit­ verier och rykten fick, eller tog åt sig, äran av tat namnet: Zdansky Otto, professor. att ha kommit pekingmänniskan på spåren. Aven tillfällighet gör jag det i början på 1984 Naturligtvis bidrog Anderssons närvaro vid när jag försöker spåra gamla samarbetspart­ högtidssammanträdet i Peking till att han kom ners till Johan Gunnar Andersson. Nu en grå att förknippas med fynden. Också hans egna senvinterdag i Uppsala sitter Otto Zdansky böcker har spelat sin roll för att nära myten. mitt emot mig hemma i sin lägenhet. Ljuset Redan i sina memoarer Kineser och pingviner som faller in genom vardagsrumsfönstret (1933) skrev Andersson att förutom fynd i fångar en vital och minnesrik nittioåring. Jag Zhoukoudian aven forntida djurvärld, "träffa• känner igen hans skarpa profil från ungdoms­ de vi (min kursivering) på ett par tänder, som porträtten tagna i Kina. Försynt och utan vore mycket människolika". åthävor berättar han: 96 Professor Otto Zdansky (Foto : Clas Thor) 7 - Rållal1S lir 97 - 1920 studerade jag i Wien och arbetade på Det fanns också andra motiv bakom orsa­ min doktorsavhandling i paleobiologi. Samma ken att sända Zdansky till Zhoukoudian. Re­ år inbjöds en grupp studenter att komma till dan i början av 1880-talet hade en engelsman, Uppsala. En av dem var jag. I Uppsala satte Oken, fört med sig från Kina en typ av ben jag mig i förbindelse med professor Carl Wi­ som kallades "drakben". De såldes i apoteken man på paleontologiska institutionen. Han och användes i mald form som naturmedicin. ledde arbetet med att analysera de fynd som 1903 beskrev paleontologen Max Schlosser kommit från Kina. i Miinchen i sin avhandling "Die fossilen - För att skaffa mig lite pengar åtog jag mig Säugetiere Chinas" "drakbenen" (vilka för att preparera fossiler. Det arbetade jag med hans räkning köpts i Kina av läkaren K. A. fyra timmar varje kväll efter avslutat arbete Haberer som fossiler av forntida däggdjur). med min avhandling. Under olika resor runt om i landet stötte Fynden som sändes från Kina till Uppsala Andersson på "drakbenen" och 1917 började hade skickats av professor Johan Gunnar An­ han och hans kollegor i Kinas geologiska un­ dersson. Han var geolog och hade 1914 an­ dersökning intressera sig för fyndorterna. ställts av Kinas geologiska undersökning som Problemet var att kineserna själva inte avslö• rådgivare i gruvangelägenheter. Efter ett par jade var de fanns . Anderssons lösning blev att år i Kina kom han allt mer att ägna sig åt kontakta olika missionsstationer, bland annat samlarverksamhet för den svenska Kinakom­ de svenska, för att få tips om försäljning av mittens räkning där Anderssons vän, överin• benen och lokala fyndigheter. På så vis spåra• tendenten Axel Lagrelius, var skattmästare des vissa fyndplatser. och viktig mecenat. 1918 mötte Andersson i Peking professorn i - Kring jul 1920 reste jag hem till Wien för kemi vid Pekings universitet, J. McGregor att fullfölja min avhandling. Kort efteråt fick Gibb. Han visste att Andersson var intresse­ jag ett brev från professor Wiman. Han fråga• rad av fossiler och nämnde en stor fyndplats de: "Vill du resa ut till Kina för att under en utanför Peking: Jigushan - Kycklingbenkullen tre års period deltaga i det paleontologiska in­ - i bergen vid Zhoukoudian.
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