The Burg Wartenstein Symposia have become rightly celebrated for achieving their original purpose: to be of service and interest to the anthropological profes­ sion as a whole and to contribute to related sciences. We are specially grateful to the Board of Directors of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research for the award of a symposium on Physical Anthropology and Nutritional Status. We had considered that such a subject was timely and that an inter-disciplinary approach would contribute useful knowledge in a most important area--particularly in the field of child health. This pUblication of the proceedings will show the degree of success of these aims. Mrs. Lita Osmundsen, Director of Research at the Wenner-Gren Foundation, not only steered us in the early stages but, during our delightful time at Burg Wartenstein, and subsequently, she has been that most charming of crosses--den mother and first class science administrator. We are deeply grateful to her. And grateful, too, for the organization and friendly warm spoiling by the Wenner-Gren staff in residence at Burg Wartenstein. Our nutritional status was high. Nothing was too much trouble for them and it was a wrench to leave and say goodbye to them. The Foundation has since supported our efforts towards this publication. Here we owe a very special debt of gratitide to the cooperation and friendly exper­ tise of Mr. Seymour Weingarten, Senior Editor of the Plenum Publishing Corporation, aided by Mr. John Matzka, Managing Editor of this Corporation.