Horváth Attila – H. Tóth Elvira szerk.: Cumania 4. Archeologia (Bács-Kiskun Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei, Kecskemét, 1976)

Matolcsi J.: Táltosló az Izsák-baláspusztai honfoglalás kori sírban

age praemolar-molar row this ratio was between 46.1 and 46.7% demonstrating that the premolar row was always longer than the molar row and at the same time proving that their ratio remained comparatively constant. This ratio is 48.1% in the Izsák-Balázspuszta horse which seems rather strange since it is nearly equal with the ratio found in an Avar horse with long praemolar-molar row. Similar tendencies appear also in the measurements of the lower jaw (mandibula) (Table 2) and in their comparisons with the similar measurements of other horses. The full length of the mandible

15 comes to 83% of the basilar length of the skull, and its height up to the top of the coronoideal process represents 47% of the basilar length. Table 2 shows the proportions of the different parts of the mandible. We therefore want to emphasize the high value (178.3 mm; 46.3%) of its aboral length (cm-cm) which is considered high for a subfossil horse and that is connected with the horizontal and veitical deformations of the skull. II. Anatomical characteristics and abnormities The skull shows specific anatomical features which characterize this individual alone and which are connected by some particular rarely occurring characteristics. The abnormal form of the skull shows that the horse of Izsák-Balázspuszta was probably plagiocephal with a slanted mouth.

16 The marks connected with these phenomena certainly attracted much attention even in the life of the animal. The slanting of the skull is the result of the fact that the median plane of the brain-skull is not the straight continuation of that of the naso-facial patt but joins it with a ceitain break. The directions of the two lines deviate ca. 5 degrees from each other, and their crossing point is about the dividing point of the naso-facial and the brain parts. In addition, the nasofacial part shows a certain twisting. Thus the nasal process of the intermaxillar bone strongly leans to the right side forming a deep fosse along its joining line to the maxilla, turning round on an imaginary axis. 15 The full length of the mandible is the joint length of the horizontal and vertical parts, thus between the measuring points Infradentale (id) and Gonion caudate (goc.) See DUERST, J. U., 1926, 331-332. In frontal view there appears to be a double bleak because, besides the break of the median plane mentioned above, leaning of the free part of the nasal bone to the left side can also be observed. It results not only, in the skull forming an arch to the left but also in that the paired bones are of different sizes and forms on the right and left side of the median plane. Instead of the symmetry of the right and left side

17 of the skull of the Izsák-Balázspuszta horse, a conspicuous asymmetry developed. It affected also the location of the orbits resulting in different seeing angles for the two eyes. On the edges of the skull it is easily visible that the facial crest (crista facialis) is concave on the left side and convex on the right. Through measurement it can be stated that there is a 16 mm difference between the lengthes of the two facial crests the length of the right facial crest 196 mm and the lenght of the left facial crest 180 mm. The zygomaxillar suture also cuts the facial crest at a different point on the right side than on the left. The distance between the most oral point of the facial crest and the zygomaxillar suture mentioned above (M—Zmi) is 45.0 mm on the right side and 33.6 mm on the left side. The asymmetry manifests itself in a rather specific way as concerns the form and size of the lacrimal bones. The forms of the right and left lacrymal bones are in no way similar although the form differences are not properly expressed by the values of their different longitudinal and transversal measurements. In fact even that tendency nicely shows that the right one would be laiger as the right lacrymal bone is undoubtedly longer than the left one. This latter however is much wider than the right one. Observe following the differences in their measurements : length of the right lacrymal bone (Da

—Lmo) 62.5 mm length of the left lacrymal bone (Da—Lmo) 57.0 mm 16 In the work on the anatomical abnormities Mr. I. TAKÁCS helped me. For his fruitful cooperation I am very indebted to him. 17 In fact the full symmetry is a very rare phenomenon, however, the small differences between the rigth and the left side do generally not affect the proportions of the skull bones. In the case of the horse of Izsák—Balázspuszta it is not so. 195