Dr. T. Tóth szerk.: Studia historico-anthropologica (Anthropologia Hungarica 19. Budapest, 1986)

lier findings the frequency of this trait is 5 per cent among Europoids, whereas among Mongoloids its frequency values are usually as high as 28-33 per cent (ZUBOV 1973). Nevertheless, on the Indian subcontinent, which belongs in the south-eastern region of the Europoids' area, the frequency of this trait found for the Veddo-Australoid groups is higher (Oraons 46. 3%) than among Mongoloids (Table 2). For the whole dental system the differential diagnostic significance of these two patterns proved to be very high (ZUBOV 1967, 1968, 1973). The local groups of the Hungarian contingent studied by us have been combined into 9 ethnogeographic units (Table 2). Concerning the two odontomorphologic patterns the ethnogeographic groups of Hungarian men are very close not only to the Eastern Finns, but to some Central Asian and Caucasian groups as well (Table 2, Fig. 2). Relatively hight frequency values (15-40%) have been found for the trait of shovel-shapedness as well as for that of the distal trigonid crest not only in the metisated groups of Europo-Mongoloids, but in the southern subcontinental area of the Europoid racial stock (including Veddo-Australoids). However, according to the combined somatoscopic index applied by us the ethnogeographic groups of the Hungarian men differ significantly from a number of populations inhabiting Bashkiria, Kazakh stan and Uzbekistan (Table 2) (TOTH 1980-1981). Having in mind the parallelism s between the skeletal and living populations, the slow process of the microevolutionary modification as well as the phylogenetic stability and continental or subcontinental specificity of certain morphoscopic characters from the postglacial millennia till the Present cannot be left out of consideration. This seems to have a real actuality in the case of the Ugor origin of the conquering Hungarians' ancestors, too. Nevertheless any comparison of the morphological complexes presented here reveals a well pronounced similarity between the Sauromats, Sarmatas of the Northern Caspian zone and the conquering Hungarians. In this area the Europoid component dominated over the insignificant Mongoloid one already during the Early Iron Age. A systematic (odontoscopic and somatologic) analysis of certain living populations studied by us affords the establishment of the prevailing majority of the Europoid taxonomic component. There is no doubt that the wide-ranging archaeological analysis carried out in connection with this problem must also be taken into consideration. The analyses have thoroughly documented the intensive tribal connections which had existed in the second half of the Bronze Age and in the first one of the Iron Age in the North Caspian area (SMIRNOV 1964; MOSHKOVA 1969, 1974; SALNIKOV 1967). In the first half of the Iron Age, in about a period of 700 years, the Prohorovo-culture (VII-II. c. BC) amalgamated in the above area (Fig. 3) with an extraordinarily heterogenous tribal composition and similar morphologic complex of population groups. This Caspian region acted doubtless as the crossing-centre of differently directed population movements in the Early Iron Age. A decisive part in the forming of the character-complex of the conquering Hungarians is connected with this chronological period. On the basis of the results and parallel data outlined above of some other disciplines it seems very probable that the Proto-Hungarians formed part of the Europoid ethnic millieu ofth Northern Caspian zone; in general, the Europoid component was the substratic one of the Protougors, too. • Note. This paper was presented on 26 July, 1985 at the Sixth International Finno-Ugric Congress in Syktyvkar. REFERENCES AKIMOVA, M. S. (1972): Antropologiya naseleniya lesostepnoi poloshy Zapadnoi Sibiri v epokhu rannego zheleza. Pamyatniki Yuzhnogo Priuralya i Zapadnoi Sibiri sarmatskogo vremeni.- Inst. Archeol. AN SSSR (Moskva), 150-159. AKIMOVA, M.S. (1977): Matériaux anthropologiques dans le cimetière de Tankeevka. - Studia Archaeol. (Budapest), 6: 223-236. AKSIANOVA, G. A. (1979): Naselenie basseina Petshori i nizhnei Obi. - In: Zubov, A.A. and Haldeeva, N.I. Etnicheskaya odontologiya SSSR, Moskva, 93-113. ALEXEYEV, V. P. (1974): Proishozhdenie narodov Kavkaza. - Nauka, Moskva, 317 pp. ALEXEYEV, V. P. & DEBETS, G. F. (1964): Kraniometriya. - Inst. Etn. AN SSSR, Moskva, 128 pp.